Press conference by Prime Minister Edi Rama with Albanian reporters covering the Ohrid Summit:

Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for providing us this opportunity. Taking notice of the tone and your articulation at the joint press conference, it is obvious your health is quite sound. One can say you articulated very well your ideas, but we want to know the truth about your nine-day absence. Secondly, you stated this initiative is being obstructed blindly. Have the obstructers of this initiative you are launching with the Western Balkan countries a name?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: First of all, it’s regrettable that my health condition is the only last hope for those seeking to regain power, but unfortunately for them I don’t suffer from health problems. Even if I was to suffer, I believe this is not quite a respectable way of dealing with politics. However, it is an indicator of their desperate state they have to go through till the end since they self-inflicted it.

As for the obstructers, I didn’t actually speak of any obstructer, because this initiative is not being hindered, because there is no way to obstruct it, but it is of course being anathematized by, according to me, totally unreasonable claims and, above all, through the old-fashioned politics, which instead of seeking to improve people’s lives as quickly as possible, it is aiming to take them hostage by issuing “patriotic” statements and proclamations.

One of the main novelties of this initiative is something I have always dreamed about and something I will keep fighting till the end and achieve it, whether those anathematizing the initiative want or don’t want; the free movement of people, which means erasing the tormenting border between Albania and Kosovo, as well as between Albania and North Macedonia. This will actually translate into fluid border crossing, just like it is the case in the Schengen area countries. If they object this too, let them say it.

As for other things, they are all issues that have been endorsed by the six countries, but they have not been taken forward for thousands of reasons. However, we have all decided to advance them by launching this non-exclusive initiative and by inviting everyone to join the initiative, but by underlining that nobody can condition the initiative, because everyone has the right to improve the conditions of the movement of people and goods. I don’t really understand why agricultural producers should continue to be tormented at the neighbouring borders and I believe that easing border crossing will give them a significant advantage and could translate into colossal profits, because currently they are wasting not only time, but also money, as the data from the international financial institutions show.

Let them tell me a single thing that could possible go wrong with this, or that goes against the interests of Albanian citizens wherever they live and then let’s discuss it. But I think it is not a wise for Kosovo to attack the government of Albania and label the Albanian government – not me personally since I am used to living under the pressure from the old politics of blind attacks – but the Prime Minister of Albania. I don’t believe this is a good policy. It won’t do any good. Just like I think that it will not do any good for Kosovo to exclude itself. What on earth is the thing that happened not to take place previously? Even at the peak of the heated conflict over the 100% tax rate, Kosovo has participated and has sit at table to forward arguments, face objections, with each side insisting on its position, yet this hasn’t hindered the continued communication. I know no case in history with pending issues or old conflicts have been solved by resorting to self-exclusion, isolation or non-communication. It is as easy as that.

Mr. Prime Minister, you already clarified your position on what has been said by people in Kosovo and I am not talking about the statements issued by journalists alone, but also by political leaders, including Isa Mustafa and other individuals have rejected your initiative on the Balkan Schengen, as you termed it today. How comes that you failed to convince nobody in Kosovo to attend the summit, even those you see as friends in Kosovo didn’t show up for this summit? Have you made efforts to make Kosovo part of this regional initiative?

PM Edi Rama: First, I respect Isa Mustafa. We have been working together and I recall happy memories of cooperation with him and his statement came as surprise to me. However, just like he has the right to have a different opinion to mine, I too have the right to have a different opinion from his. Describing this process as one aimed at revitalizing Yugoslavia is…telling me that – although I haven’t worked at the Yugoslavian administration and I have no links of whatsoever to Yugoslavia except the memory of maltreatment of Albanians – I think it is an exaggeration and it is not pretty elegant, so to say. Excuse me, what the Balkan Schengen essentially is? Balkan Schengen is an idea that has been constantly refused by two factors, namely the European Union and Serbia.

Serbia has constantly lambasted the Balkan Schengen idea, because it has seen it as a threat by Albanians because of the border issue. Today, while Serbia gives in to this direction, because it certainly will seek to benefit from other aspects of the initiative, we oppose it. Why? Countless statements have been issued, pledging to open the borders, but the border has yet to open. It has not been opened. So much has been said about this, as the international community representatives rushed to our offices saying: “This is Greater Albania.” The proposal to take this process forward through an initiative has been made long time ago and I have told the President of Serbia that we would not join the initiative unless it includes the free movement of people. So you have to this extra mile, as the saying has it, so that we can implement the rest. I would invite then everyone tell me what’s wrong with that?

Because you failed to reach a solution, or because you made insufficient efforts.

PM Edi Rama: I am sorry, but I have already provided my explanations. One should not forget that Kosovo is being through a transition period until a new government takes over. This hasn’t eased communication. I have heard Albin Kurti stating it is in Kosovo’s interest to attend regional meetings. I have hailed such statement, but I am not tasked with and more over I won’t assume, so to say, the role of an elderly and try to convince anyone, because I have greatest respect for Kosovo leaders and it is them the ones to decide. I respect their decisions, even when I don’t understand them.

Two days ago in Geneva, the U.S. Special representative, Mr. Palmer said that Albania has a consolidated democracy, but the U.S. wishes to see dialogue about the electoral reform. How do you plan to get there? You have stated that a special bill on the fight against organized crime will be unveiled in November. Will it be an interim law, or will it extend to an undefined time?

PM Edi Rama: These are probably issues I had the opportunity to discuss in Tirana too. However, as far as the election reform is concerned everything is clear. We will adopt the electoral reform in parliament in line with the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations as an initial stage. We will be then open to proposals and discussions at later stage of the reform. In the meantime, we will unveil the special law very soon. I would decline to provide further details, because this is one of the reasons I am recently refraining from my usual public appearances, because we have been intensively working with an extended working team, with the international partners, after having consulted many international expertise and experiences in this respect. I am totally determined to usher in an unprecedented stage of the fight against organized crime, taking at the same time a series of special actions against prosecutors and judges in the so-called organization “catch whatever you can.”

In your remarks at the Davos Forum few days ago, you said you felt like a boat that had lost its compass. Albanians know quite well their direction and that is West. Is it possible that this rapprochement with Serbia might lead Albania to another direction? Do you enjoy the Albanians’ support after the Brussels’ “No? If I may, I would like to ask you about Mr. Thaçi. Earlier today, you renewed the invitation to Mr. Thaçi and other Kosovo leaders to join the initiative. Have you communicated with Kosovo’s current leaders, including President Thaçi in person, although you have chosen … [inaudible] that this initiative could be postponed as long as Kosovo is currently in this transition dilemma?

PM Edi Rama: When I talked about the boat and the compass I meant the process of accession negotiations. Definitely, the Albanians’ orientation is toward the West and there is no other direction to pursue. But the negotiation process is a compass and I’ve used this metaphor to say that the failure to make the decision, or the refusal to open the accession negotiations is like someone has lost the compass, because it is not just the matter of not opening the membership negotiations, but the EU internal conflict surfaced in a way that it is legitimate to wonder, what now? This the question everyone, not only me, has made. And this is what we are waiting for, for clarity, because we need clarity. Because this game of “do this and do that and the negotiations will then open,” but then “we are facing some other concerns,” this game cannot go on without a clarity on the part of the EU. That was the idea.

With regards to the rapprochement with Serbia, once again, there is nothing new. No initiative containing unknown elements has been ever launched. The six countries have all agreed to cut the tariff barriers, memorandums have been signed and others are in the process. The fact is that this has not happened and we are now just seeking to implement it. It is not an initiative to invent something new or develop a new scheme. These are all conspiracy theories and short-sighted approaches adopted by those who pretend as if they don’t understand, do not want to understand, or simply do not understand. But facts are facts and things quite simple.

But you said that Serbia has another gateway. What do you imply?

PM Edi Rama: I am doing this neither for Serbia, nor for Montenegro, or Bosnia and Herzegovina, or North Macedonia, but first and foremost I am doing it for Albania and Kosovo. I am doing it for Albania, because the countries I mentioned are led by other people. I am not in capacity to speak up or work for others’ interests. I think and work for the interest of Albania and Albanians and for Kosovo too, because I believe that if we remove the border we can materialize complete free movement, which is something that Kosovo and Albania alone would not be able to do on their own, because they have attempted to do it many times, but they failed, because they do not allow us to do so. We are neither the U.S., or China. We are just two tiny Albanian states that should do things wisely.

Why you didn’t launch this initiative initially with Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and then invite Serbia. You chose Serbia and now Kosovo, according to you, has excluded itself.

PM Edi Rama: How I would explain you something, which is perhaps the only clear thing, and tell you that borders won’t be removed without Serbia being part of this process. Do you understand this? Bosnia also opposes the move, but it a less relevant actor in this situation. How could be borders removed without Serbia?

And instead sacrifice Kosovo? 

PM Edi Rama: What sacrifice? I am saying that we will remove border with Kosovo and Kosovo has no reason to think about nothing else, but just join this process. Both Albania and Kosovo will pursue the Albanians’ interest. Do we win, or lose in this process? This is the question. Do we emerge victorious by being isolated, by becoming a barricade, or by adopting a normal approach in a process of co-existence at peace time, because we are not at war. It would be completely different if we were to be at war. At peace there is always a time for conflict, there is always a time for talks. There is always a time to show where and on what we differ, and there is always a time to find out which are our common interests. This is the interest of Albania and the Albanians. Are Albanians transporting goods and products to these countries?  Is it a fact that Albanian agricultural exports have increased and may grow a lot further if there is more speed? Is it a fact that Albanians have traditionally faced problems when exporting to North Macedonia? Should we face these facts and work to ease and grow the country’s exports? If there is someone to convince me that we can benefit more by resorting to self-seclusion and by barricading ourselves in order to not to allow regional cooperation advance, then I will be ready to listen. But history has not recorded such an example to date and I haven’t listened any convincing argument about this. It is as simple as that.

Kosovo is invited and everyone else is invited to join in. We have sit down and talked to each other. We have met in Durres. I have extended the invitations and we have all met each other. So, it is quite easy. Those seeking to complicate the process are doing it for internal political reasons. But it is not correct to play internal politics by misusing ties with each other as it is the case of our two countries. I know how to respond whenever a response to unjust attacks is needed, but I prefer not to argue and engage in debate with Kosovo’s leaders. I respect them and think we need to interact and cooperate. We have been through a long period of interaction and cooperation with Isa Mustafa. We have collaborated brilliantly and there have never been any problems.

Has your cooperation with Kosovo reached a stalemate?

PM Edi Rama: No, in my opinion. Not on my part.

You said Kosovo has inflicted self-exclusion, but this is a decision made by President Thaçi and Isa Mustafa. Meanwhile, you have met the Kosovo-elect PM Albin Kurti in Tirana and he could make another decision.

PM Edi Rama: I didn’t say this. I spoke about self-exclusion as a wrong approach. I didn’t say that Kosovo has excluded itself, because it doesn’t necessarily mean this is a self-exclusion decision because the President declined to attend the meeting. I commented about the self-exclusion logic. I didn’t talk about it at all, because, fortunately, there is no such decision, for it would be fatal if such a decision was to be made. Everyone at this table will attend Durres summit together with new EU foreign policy chief, Mr. Borrell. This shows that the U.S. strongly supports this process, Germany strongly supports this process, because it is a process that doesn’t divert the already trodden path by all six Western Balkan countries as part of the Berlin Process. It is the same process, but it involves decisions aimed at pushing things forward and getting things done. It is not Germans, French or the Americans to intervene and remove the phytosanitary certificates. It is not NATO going to intervene in order to remove the administrative barriers or validate the diploma recognition. It is us who should do all these and it takes political will and this is an expression of the political will.

Question… [inaudible]

PM Edi Rama:  Since it was agreed that the initiative would ensure free movement of people, it was actually agreed that states would make sure of it. The President of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina said his country won’t erase border with Serbia, but we will not wait for them. I want to remove the border with Kosovo, unless Kosovo does not want to remove the border with Albania, – which I do not believe is true.

But more importantly, if we do this, it will no longer happen as it was previously the case when the EU voiced concern about the so-called “Greater Albania.” Belgrade officials will no longer issue an immediate outcry about the so-called “Greater Albania.” No, it is part of the process. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we will come together and decide for everyone. We have agreed to do this and we will do it on bilateral basis among the states. We have already commenced discussions with Montenegro and I have asked North Macedonia to do the same. The Interior Minister has visited North Macedonia twice or thrice, and the North Macedonia’s Interior Minister has also visited our country to hold discussions. The main concern was that the initiative could open the border between Albania and Kosovo and therefore nobody was willing to deal with this, including Montenegro. But now everyone has agreed and this is an historic step.

The historic steps are usually made by visionaries and are opposed by those who can’t see the forest for the trees. Time proves right those who see things far away. I have taken everything into consideration. It would have been very easy for me to stay in Tirana and take to Facebook to attack or bombard the enemy. Is this worth the effort?! If someone in Kosovo thinks he would score gains by attacking me, let him do. It doesn’t turn out to be the case. People will see and understand. What a leader should do is to lead and not to go after people. Instead, he should lead and govern the country whatever it costs him politically, just like it was the case with me being “a traitor” prior to visiting Belgrade and a hero upon return from Belgrade. But I am neither a traitor, nor a hero. I am just a man who has taken this job very seriously. I have taking this job over and I will do it with all the seriousness, all the perseverance and with all my stubbornness. Let then facts, results, the people, and history to judge everyone. No problem. I’m ok!

Thank you!