Prime Minister Edi Rama’s remarks at the annual joint meeting of the governments of Albania and Kosovo:

Welcome!

Dear friends, colleagues, brothers and sisters from Kosovo!

It is a special pleasure that despite this difficult moment we and the whole world are going through with the contact restrictions and the limited conditions for close meetings, we succeed nevertheless in organizing together this sixth intergovernmental Albania-Kosovo meeting here in Tirana, precisely on the 100th anniversary of the capital.

Before coming here, we had a friendly conversation with the Prime Minister and we have agreed to commit together to pressing ahead a joint project by commencing work as soon as possible for the 150th anniversary of the League of Prizren, which is still far in time, but not so far as not to think today about a joint project on complete urban requalification of the historic city of Albanians.

Albania-Kosovo intergovernmental meetings, always held in the spirit of close fraternal cooperation and continued political and diplomatic interaction, represent a very good opportunity, either to take stock of the steps we have already taken or to set objectives for further steps.

The Joint Declaration on Cooperation and Strategic Partnership the two countries signed in Prizren, in January 2014, remains a valuable roadmap towards forging closer integration and deeper cooperation in all areas between our two countries.

The steps taken are not small, although the distance to the delivering our shared vision remains significant. If we are to refer to the last joint meeting in Peja we can conclude that all the signed documents are under the implementation process or their implementation process has completed. I would like to particularly point out the good progress in the implementation process of the bilateral agreement on the joint border crossing points and improving and upgrading infrastructure at Morine-Vermice border crossing point. Joint border checks at Morine-Vermice border crossing point are conducted according to the one-stop one-check principle. Despite huge influx during this summer season too, we have noticed that the citizens’ movement has been more relaxed at the peak of the season, eliminating worrisome long queues that was a common phenomenon in the past.

This is of course thanks to the commendable work of our border and police structures and their close cooperation.

But obviously this is not enough. Our ambition is the removal of the border in order to implement the four freedoms of the European Union in our region, starting with the easiest and most meaningful, the removal of the border between Albania and Kosovo. I believe it is important for the interior ministries of both countries to step up their work to enable real-time border crossing control, which would allow us to finally open the border without losing an inch on the front line against illegal activities and against any form of abuse of freedom of movement.

On the other hand, I praise the two governments for their commitment to making Kosovo’s Operative Office at Durres Port operational, as application of a new joint system is underway. The agreement we will sign in the coming weeks on implementation of mutual facilities regarding customs procedures and control of entry and exit of goods, actually leads us to a previously unimaginable destination, the transformation of the Port of Durres into a “de facto” port of Kosovo as well. The only station, where the entry of all goods to Kosovo, from a legislative and legal point of view will be treated as an entry into Kosovo at the moment when the goods are landed in Durrës.

This is an important step towards the finalization of the objective to turn Durres Port into a strategic seaport, not only for the entire Albanian space, but also for the regional one, which I have noted with great pleasure as a fact also on the agreement signed in Washington just a few weeks ago.

However, our ambition should not stop at one station only, or at one border crossing point alone, no matter how important.  Indeed, with this agreement we will finally, legally and procedurally be able to conduct joint controls, automatic recognition of customs agents of both countries, recognition of guarantees at all customs points and further, and all these facilities mark a new chapter towards the finalization of the objective on genuine customs unification in the coming years.

Indeed, the health crisis caused by the pandemic revealed not only the weaknesses, but also firmness, sustainability and vitality of our economic cooperation built over these years, meeting after meeting, agreement after agreement. It is a fact and the facts unfortunately, in the time we live in, weigh much less in people’s eyes and ears than the fake news, or half-truths. And it is for this reason, unfortunately also for this fact, that few or none of the independent agents of information both in Albania and Kosovo have ever taken the trouble to speak and tell that as a concrete result of the facilitation and removal of various barriers a significant increase in trade has been recorded despite a very unfavourable climate.

Last year, the positive dynamics in trade exchanges made Kosovo-Albania economic cooperation record the highest exchange quota of all time, with trade exchanges valued at around 305 million euros.

However, this is a fact showing not only an important accomplishment, but also indicates a still untapped huge potential.

Morine border crossing point has been operational throughout the pandemic. It has succeeded in handling the influx of goods exchange between the two countries. The relevant foot, hygiene authorities and health inspectors have had very good cooperation. In a broader context, the regional green lanes initiative for essential and priority goods allowed for the continued movement of goods, food and health products also at the peak of paralyzed trade activities because of the pandemic.

In addition to deepening the customs and maritime cooperation, the other aspect I would like to point out is interconnection, especially the digital and rail interconnection.

Today we take an important step towards exploring the opportunities for construction of a railway line between the two countries in the framework of the regional rail corridors, as well as towards mutual technical and professional cooperation. This is certainly a step that would take its time to materialize, yet it moves forward in tandem with what we are practically finalizing, a common port in Durres for Albania and Kosovo and the whole region, which naturally needs multiple links in terms of transport, including rail.

We will soon begin – hopefully finally after a long odyssey through the maze of the procedures of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development – work to construct Tirana-Durres railway. This is yet another step I believe goes in the right direction, just like it is the case with our commitment to develop the 5G-based technology digital corridor between Pristina and Tirana.

At this point, I would like to reconfirm our government’s and my personal position already announced in a written form for the prime ministers in our region some time ago that the countries in our region should see the see the perspective of a 5G technology development based on a safe network in every aspect and should certainly aim at the right alternative to the existing offer today and that, as far as we as Albania are concerned, is a dubious offer.

As part of the talks with the Prime Minister in July, we are committed to looking into the joint investment opportunities to develop new energy capacities for the two countries. This is a topic we are focusing on and seeking to press ahead with to create integration of not only our structures, but also our energy policies to ensure diversity and complementarity in view of the energy market.

I am pleased to say that the cooperation in the diplomatic field has worked best as a pillar of our strategic cooperation, just like it is the case with our harmonization to support the Albanian factor wherever in the region, as a permanent priority of the work of two governments, but when the forces join, the priority takes on more implementing power.

The accomplishments of the Albanian political forces in the recent elections in several countries in the region clearly demonstrate the potential of Albanians’ unification, unification of their positions on issues of strategic importance for Albanians and the strengthening of their voice in important legislative and law enforcement institutions.

On the other hand, Albanian government, together with its diplomatic missions, is committed like never before to finalize a national strategy and action plan of the Diaspora for 2018-2024, guided by the shared political and strategic vision to defend and affirm Albanians’ interests. We have taken over a series of initiatives, including the initiative designed to establish a fund to support Presevo Valley, while keeping cooperating to institutionalize this approach for Montenegro too.

Our commitment to Kosovo in view of enhancing its presence in international and regional bodies unquestionably remains the backbone of this entire interactive body. And I am very pleased to hail the commitment we will undertake today regarding cooperation in the field of security, a commitment that provides for the mutual attachment of liaison officers from those countries, where none of us has no accredited mission.

I am saying this because though seemingly symbolic or an easy things, it is indeed part of a new way of looking at things that we should exercise courageously and without wasting time to establish a diplomatic presence network around the world so that it becomes a network complementary working for our shared strategic interests and that certainly works also in terms of its efficiency better than two different networks, which sometimes do not interact with each other.

That’s why I also believe that our governments will continue to work to establish and consolidate mechanisms that strengthen this diplomatic and consular interaction, certainly in line with international norms and best practices.

Albania and Kosovo took an important step on April 23, 2020, when our Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Kosovo’s Ministry for European Integration agreed to bolster cooperation in the framework of European integration, practice and experience exchanges in terms of setting up the negotiating structures, harmonization of legislation and other issues in this regard.

It is impossible that on the occasion of this event of the year for both governments not to underline Kosovo’s recent progress in the diplomatic sphere.

The Washington meeting, resumption of the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia, progress in the European reforms agenda, successful chairmanship of the South-East European Cooperation Process, membership with the European Network of Transmission System Operators, are not everything, yet they are some of the significant signals of the Kosovo’s diplomacy progress in the recent months.

I want to particularly emphasize Kosovo government’s wise, courageous and constructive approach to the dialogue with Serbia, in a smart coordination with the strategic partners of Kosovo, the United States of America and the European Union, removing any obstacles to the resumption of dialogue which, in fact, time and facts showed was an obstacle that Kosovo unfortunately set for itself.

Dialogue remains the only instrument to win the issue up for resolution. Any elusiveness from the dialogue merely conjures up illusory victories on social networks only and in the local media establishment, but it takes away the real victory and weakens Kosovo’s position, either internally in relation to itself or externally in relation to the world. Internal consensus regarding the attitude towards dialogue in view of strengthening Kosovo’s negotiating position is a must I wish and hope will remain as such in the eyes of all those who guarantee this consensus today.

I think that today we can clearly see for ourselves both the consequences of embarking on a dead end tour and the outcomes of embarking on a path towards perspective. In a very short time, a very wide crack was restored, which had significant consequences for Kosovo, and a step was taken, which I am convinced that every day and every passing year will speak better and better in Washington.

I don’t know what to believe regarding the visa-liberalization with Kosovo. I can’t help but reiterate that the failure to liberalize the visa regime for Kosovo is a disgrace to the European Union. It is an indelible blemish and unjustifiable shame as long as the long deserved visa liberalization remains in force, not because Kosovo has failed to deliver on its homework, but for the reason that Kosovo has been taken hostage to the internal dynamics of certain EU member states. Kosovo has been taken hostage to the electoral logics in various EU member states and Kosovo should still wait for some elections end in a certain country just to be followed again by other elections in another EU country, while it seems completely surreal, but it looks like the only thing I have to wish is for the democracy and the elections to end in Europe so that Kosovo be granted the visa liberalization.

I have repeatedly commented on this issue whenever meeting them in Europe. And still today I understand nothing of what they say, but I realize that the reason is what they do not say. Kosovo is paying the price with the rejection to the visa liberalization, Albania and North Macedonia are paying the price with every sort of excuse, depending on the electoral configuration in a certain country and then in another one and it is a whole region paying this price. This is the reason why I am convinced that even though regional cooperation and integration is absolutely in no way an alternative to the European integration, it is definitely an important pressure valve regarding the huge and real pressure on the very small markets we are divided from. The markets expansion and integration in the region do no harm whatsoever, quite the opposite, it generates more economy, it generates more employment and it certainly provides more opportunity to peace and final solution to the fundamental issue, that is Kosovo recognition by Serbia.

I would like to put emphasis on a seemingly unimportant agreement if compared to what I already talked about, yet it is a crucially important deal when it comes to the online teaching and learning. Time was high for this novelty even prior to the pandemic, but it is now a top priority that will help us to further advance and consolidate cooperation on full integration of the pre-university education system in both countries via a unified digital platform. This project marks a huge step forward and it is another concrete fact of the joint work of the two governments that facts today remain far from attention, but it is much more important for the future than all the half true news stories and lies people are told on a daily basis, distorting our public opinions. This is because we have laid the foundations of the future, providing children in Albania and Kosovo the same conditions in terms of the system and teaching and learning approach. For the first time, we are educating and training the next generation through a unified system and we are preparing this generation to speak the same language, not in the sense of the Albanian language, but in the sense of communication with all elements that make up the culture taught in school.

The signing of the agreements between the ministries of culture is equally important, as well as the cooperation in health and civil protection areas.

I will never forget and I will never cease reiterating the gratitude for the incredible contribution and the spirit of brotherhood and solidarity demonstrated by Kosovo troops in one of the hardest days in Albania’s history, the day after the Nov 26 tragedy.

Once again, I would like to express my highest appreciation and gratitude to them.

I would like to conclude by underlining that the Regional Schengen project is a project of the Albanian youth both in Albania, Kosovo and everywhere else. It is a project of all of those who though still in the kindergarten or the pre-school system, in the primary school, those at an age when they have yet to become eligible to vote and for whom we share a great deal of responsibility to decide about. It is the project of the young people, because it is the project of the final escape from the history trap and the project that will allow us to move into a bigger space, which not only provides more breath and more opportunities to everyone in every respect, not only it will transform this region from a black hole in the others’ perception into an area of investment attractions and opportunities, but it will also provide more support to everyone for the eventual and final integration in the European Union. We should not live in illusions. We should live the reality and we should see the reality through the eyes of people younger than us. I believe that our cooperation in this respect is totally open. The time of ideological and psychological walls is gone and we need to take advantage of this momentum and make it irreversible, by delivering on all works we are forced to perform to fully establish the four freedoms of the European Union, first and foremost in the territory between us, where nobody can hamper us and where we do not even need translators when it comes to reaching mutual agreements, because we write them in the same language, read them in the same language and understand them from the same language.

Thank you very much!