[ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH «ALBEUROPA»} NEWS: TIRANA AND BELGRADE RESTORE TIES (part of IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, NO. 212, January 24, 2001)

[Wolfgang Plarre]

Betreff: IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, NO. 212
Datum: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 19:33:19 -0000
Von: Institute for War & Peace Reporting <info at iwpr.net>

WELCOME TO IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, NO. 212, January 24, 2001

TIRANA AND BELGRADE RESTORE TIES

Tirana smooths over nationalist opposition to its decision to
re-establish diplomatic ties with Belgrade 

By Llazar Semini in Tirana

Tirana seems to have diffused nationalist protests in Kosovo and Albania
over its restoration of diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia.
    Kosovo leaders had seen the renewal of ties as a betrayal. Their
grievances were then exploited by the Albanian opposition.
    The nationalist protests, however, eased following talks between
Albania's Deputy Foreign Minister Pellumb Xhufti and Kosovo Albanian
leaders in Pristina.
    Tirana appears to have persuaded Kosovar leaders that far from
abandoning Kosovo, it was attempting to establish a sound basis for the
province's campaign for independence. 
    Diplomatic ties between the two countries were re-established on
January 17, five days after an approach from Belgrade, an Albanian
foreign ministry statement said. 
    Links were severed in March 1999 by the Yugoslav government over
Albania's support of the NATO bombing campaign.
    In restoring diplomatic relations, the Albanian government
implicitly accepts United Nations Resolution 1244, which recognises
Kosovo as a province of Serbia - hence the hostile reception to the news
from Kosovo Albanian politicians intent on pushing for independence for
the province.
    Xhufti's visit to Pristina appears to have smoothed ruffled
feathers. A few days later, Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for
Kosovo's Future, said on Voice of America radio that he supported
Tirana's decision and believed the move would prove to be positive for
Kosovo Albanians.
    Tirana's representatives in Belgrade will provide Kosovo Albanians
with a voice in the Yugoslav capital to both remind the new authorities
there of the numerous problems yet to be resolved in the province and
provide valuable insights into what the Yugoslav authorities intend to
do with it.
    A pressing issue is the fate of Kosovo Albanian prisoners currently
held in Serbian jails. The Kosovars are demanding their release, but no
political party from Pristina dares to talk to Belgrade on this or any
other matter ahead of the general elections expected later this year.
    An Albanian foreign ministry statement on January 21 confirming the
re-establishment of diplomatic relations said, "The Albanian government
has made clear that the release of Kosovar political prisoners and the
[fate] of the missing from the conflict in Kosova are issues of special
importance, which the new Belgrade authorities should treat as a
priority and in a democratic way."
    Eager to exploit the Albanian government's discomfiture immediately
after the restoration of diplomatic relations, the country's opposition
politicians joined Kosovo Albanians in denouncing the move as "too
hasty".
    The main opposition party, former President Sali Berisha's
Democrats, said the government should have attached preconditions to any
agreement with Belgrade. 
    Berisha repeated the old accusation that the ruling Socialists were
"linked" to Belgrade and did not enjoy the support of Kosovo Albanians.
    The hostility aroused by the decision exposed a lack of coordination
within the Albanian government. Conflicting reports and comments called
into question whether ties had in fact been re-established or were
simply under discussion.
    On January 22, the head of the parliamentary foreign affairs
committee, Sabri Godo, said in a television interview he would need to
seek clarification from the foreign minister.
    "I am not clear if relations were re-established or only the talks
to re-establish them were started," Godo told Television Arberia. "The
latter would be the right course of action at the moment."
    This appeared to contradict both the foreign ministry statement from
the day before and comments from United Nations Balkans envoy Carl Bildt
that Tirana re-established relations the previous week.
    Albanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sokol Gjoka attempted to shed
more light on matters saying, "there's no confusion". Tirana had
responded positively to an approach from Belgrade on January 17, he
said, "but of course there are procedures to follow."
    Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo said he had consulted with
Western governments, especially the United States, before coming to
agreement with the Yugoslav authorities.
    The situation was further confused by conflicting reports that
Socialist leader Fatos Nano had met Yugoslav President Vojislav
Kostunica during his recent trip to Athens.
    In 1997, Nano seriously undermined his own credibility at home and
among Kosovo Albanians when he met former Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic in Crete. 
    Clearly worried that a meeting with Kostunica could also prove
damaging, Nano's spokesman immediately denied the reports. The following
day, however, Greek media reported Nano had met Yugoslav Federal Foreign
Minister Goran Svilanovic in an Athens hotel.
    Finally, on his return to Tirana, Nano said he had met Kostunica and
Svilanovic in the Greek capital and had discussed the fate of Kosovo
Albanian prisoners, the "disappeared" and the "democratic and peaceful
development of the Balkans".
    Nano's actions are not expected win him suppport in Albania or
Kosovo, but could bolster his standing in the West. He met US Ambassador
Joseph Limprecht on his return to Tirana, an indication Washington
approved of decision to meet Kostunica.

Llazar Semini is co-ordinator for IWPR in Tirana and former project
editor in Pristina


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