Bećirović: The solution for the problems of the Balkan countries is in accelerated accession to NATO and the EU

LJUBLJANA, (Patria) - Dr. Zijad Bećirović, director of the International Institute for Middle Eastern and Balkan Studies IFIMES from Ljubljana, spoke in an interview with Albanian daily news about the current political situation in the Balkans and the resolution of the crisis between Kosovo and Serbia, which could also affect the rest of the region.

Bećirović mentioned some awards that IFIMES has received in the past period, and emphasized that these awards are the result of the institute's active work.

- The "Mostar Peace Connection 2018" award is a consequence of the work and 17 years of IFIMES's activity in the international arena. At the ceremony in Mostar, next to the Old Bridge in Mostar, numerous officials gathered, including four prime ministers: Alexis Tsipras, Prime Minister of Greece, Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of Macedonia, Duško Marković, Prime Minister of Montenegro, and Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdić. Given that Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, Jacques Chirac, Alois Mock, Serge Brammertz, Stjepan Mesić, Süleyman Demirel, Antonio Cassese, and many others have received this award so far, it gives it special weight and significance. Of course, it is an even greater obligation for the recipients of the award to justify it in their future work and actions.

Special consultative status within UN/ECOSOC is a great recognition for IFIMES, and at the same time an even greater obligation to justify this status in future work. To our knowledge, we are the only organization from the region with such a status. This means that our work will be even more global, as we want to contribute to the development, stability, and peace not only of the Middle East and the Balkans but also on a global level. The international scientific journal "European Perspectives", which we publish and which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, will also contribute to this. This journal is intended for Euro-Atlantic integration, and with it, we want to help countries that aspire to be members of the EU and NATO, but also to help resolve key issues of the EU and Europe as a whole. Our Office in Vienna also makes a significant contribution to our work, as we coordinate and lead numerous activities worldwide through it.

He also commented on the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, stating that all negotiation actors bear responsibility for the failures so far.

- The dialogue between official Belgrade and official Pristina under the auspices of the EU has not been conducted in the right way. All actors bear responsibility for this, as well as the EU, or rather Federica Mogherini, whose ambitions are much greater than her capabilities. This is an imposed dialogue with a clear goal in advance, which should confirm the de facto situation, namely the existence of two independent and sovereign neighboring countries, the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Kosovo. Everything else is politicking and making excuses. The Republic of Kosovo can no longer be part of Serbia, nor part of Albania. Serbia wants the territory of Kosovo without Albanians. Albania is a full member of NATO, which protects the territorial integrity of all member states, including Albania, and that's where the talk of annexing other countries or territories ends. At the same time, the Constitution of Kosovo does not allow any annexations to other or third countries. And to change the Constitution of Kosovo, a 2/3 majority consent of minority communities is required, including the Serbian community in Kosovo, which is currently unfeasible.

Bećirović added that the idea of dividing Kosovo is most advocated by the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dačić.

- The idea of dividing Kosovo and correcting borders is being pushed by the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dačić. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is not against this idea either. The intention of Aleksandar Vučić's regime is hidden here, to seize the north of Kosovo and annex it to Serbia, but behind it is his intention to annex the entity of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Republic of Serbia. We must not forget a very important fact, that the entity of Republika Srpska is not a compact territory. Namely, the administrative area of Brčko District BiH divides Republika Srpska into two parts. This is an important fact. Even more important is the fact that such intentions cannot be realized without conflict, and I can freely say without war or wars.

Bećirović also highlighted the excellent cooperation between Serbian President Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Rama.

- Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama have excellent cooperation, I can freely say a close partnership. Edi Rama leads the policy among Albanians that favors close cooperation with Serbia, while most Albanians support a policy that is interested in cooperation with all other countries in the region. Serbia officially exports about 500 million EUR to Kosovo, and another similar amount is exported unofficially. The north of Kosovo is where Serbian and Albanian political-criminal structures cooperate the most and most closely.

It is a known fact that Serbian companies are favored in the Albanian energy sector, especially in electricity trading. Even internal information is provided to Serbian companies so that they can criminally win tenders for the purchase/sale of electricity (KeSH). The Albanian state has full control over independent regulators, which prevents fair and loyal competition. In Albania, we have a case where the institutions of the Albanian state have been "stolen". All this happens with the knowledge of Edi Rama. This is the politicization of crime and the criminalization of politics in which Vučić and Rama participate. Rama and Vučić formed the current Government of Kosovo, where the Prime Minister of Kosovo became a person who has 10 deputies out of a total of 120 in the Kosovo parliament. On the other hand, there is close and direct cooperation without any intermediaries between Vučić and Hashim Thaçi and through their brothers. This is where politics ends and crime begins.

The director of IFIMES believes that Vučić and Rama are trying to shift the crisis to the rest of the region due to the problems they face in their countries.

- You don't need to be an expert to conclude that. We have a fragile peace and short-term stability in the region. We must work towards lasting peace and long-term stability. Edi Rama has enough problems within Albania and therefore tries to export his problems to the region. Vučić is in a similar situation. Although Vučić and Thaçi formally won the elections, their victory is increasingly becoming a "Pyrrhic" victory. Mass protests against Edi Rama's regime will continue in Albania, and Serbia is yet to face them. On the other hand, Vučić and Thaçi would conduct the Brussels dialogue indefinitely, because that dialogue keeps them in political life, and because of the dialogue, they still have international support as they promised to sign a legally binding agreement on Kosovo. Vučić and Thaçi have deceived their voters as well as the international community, which has once again believed Balkan leaders as it once believed Milošević. The international community has learned nothing from the recent past, and I am particularly concerned by the fact that German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes them. In the Balkans, it is more accurate to view politicians as criminals and less as politicians. The international community has mostly established partnerships with political-criminal structures since the breakup of former Yugoslavia, and this has backfired on them, and it will backfire in the case of Vučić, Rama, and Thaçi.

He points out that there is an agreement between Vučić, Rama, and Thaçi, as well as parts of the international community, regarding the border between Serbia and Kosovo.

- This is another activity of Vučić, Rama, and Thaçi. Municipalities in southern Serbia, Preševo, Medveđa, Bujanovac, mostly inhabited by an ethnic Albanian majority, have publicly expressed their intention to join Kosovo. This is a threat to the constitutional and legal order of the Republic of Serbia. Vučić and Dačić are silent, and they should act against all those who threaten the constitutional and legal order and territorial integrity of Serbia. It clearly states that there is an agreement between Vučić, Rama, and Thaçi, but also parts of the international community. Behind the exchange of territories lies the intention to annex Republika Srpska to Serbia, and for Edi Rama to become the great father of Albanians and the master of Albanian ethnic spaces. When it comes to abolishing the border and border controls between Kosovo and Albania, the EU must react, because the issue of state borders is no longer a bilateral issue between two countries, but an issue of international security, in this case, the security of the EU is directly threatened. I expect the EU to react in the same way it reacted when they intended to issue passports of the Republic of Albania to citizens of the Republic of Kosovo so that they could travel visa-free. NATO must also react here because the borders of the Republic of Albania are the borders of the NATO alliance.

Bećirović sees the solution to the problems in the admission of the remaining Balkan countries into NATO and the EU.

- The EU and the US are slowly but surely losing the Western Balkans and leaving it to others. We cannot rule out the possibility of a change in the geopolitical orientation of individual countries. I see the solution in accelerating the inclusion of the remaining countries into NATO, and subsequently into EU membership. Difficult, sometimes impossible conditions for membership are often set. Let's remember how Bulgaria and Romania became members of the EU and NATO "overnight".

At the end of the interview, Bećirović warns that instead of the Europeanization of the Balkans, we are witnessing the Balkanization of Europe.

- Instead of the Europeanization of the Balkans, we are witnessing the Balkanization of Europe. Look at the leaders and political parties that are emerging on the European political scene. We must be aware of the fact that future competitions in the world will take place between regions or between regional integrations. Therefore, it is important that the EU is maintained and becomes even stronger. We are witnessing attacks on the EU from the outside precisely for these reasons, but it is surprising that there are major attacks on the EU from within, and that is worrying.