EU Tells Albanian PM ‘Good neighborly relations essential in Western Balkans’

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – Good neighborly relations must be maintained in the Western Balkans, said European Commission Spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic in response to Albanian PM Edi Rama’s comments that Albania and Kosovo may unite one day.

Asked by Serbian daily Blic if the EU had any reaction to Albanian PM comments that Albania and Kosovo may unite one day, Maja Kocijancic said that “Cooperation with everyone must be equal and the most important thing is to maintain good neighborly relations, while any form of geopolitical debate can influence in the stability of the region, may bring difficulties and loosen good neighborly relations.”

The EU spokesperson comments come a day after an interview of Albania’s prime minister Edi Rama for POLITICO which has caused uproar across regional media outlets.

Rama said Europe would face “a nightmare” if the Balkans “go crazy” because EU accession is off the agenda, with the region becoming a “gray zone in which other actors have more influence than the European Union.”

Asked if he would take a union with Kosovo off the table, Rama said: “No, because the only way to keep the Balkans in this peaceful and cooperative mode … is to keep the path to the EU open, to keep the perspective clear, to keep emotions about the EU positive. No one would like to turn [in] on themselves and look for smaller unions, everyone would like to unite in the big union. But if there’s no hope, no perspective, no space, then, of course, little unions may happen.”

Alarmed by rising instability and tension in the region, EU leaders last month reaffirmed “unequivocal support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans.” But the accession process has lost momentum due to the EU’s internal problems, popular opposition in EU countries to taking in new members and concerns about corruption and the poor quality of democracy in Balkan countries.

Albania, like neighbors Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro, is formally an EU membership candidate. Only Serbia and Montenegro have started accession negotiations, however, and are seen as years away from membership.