Prime Minister Edi Rama, during his participation in the Peace Forum that is taking place in Paris, emphasized Albania’s role in promoting peace and cooperation in the Western Balkans, focusing especially on Kosovo-Serbia relations and the need for their normalization.
In the conversation dedicated to peace and stability in the region, Rama said that Albania has been among the most active countries in promoting dialogue and cooperation during the last decade.
“Albania has always been a peace-loving country and during the last 10 years we have tried to be very active in promoting peace and cooperation with everyone in the region“, said the head of the government.
Speaking about the challenges that accompany the relations between the Balkan countries, Rama used a comparison for the neighborhood, stressing that the countries of the region must find ways to coexist and cooperate.
“There are some things you can be as free as you want, but you can’t choose. I can’t choose my cousins or my neighbors. Neighbors are where they are and will always be there. So you’d better try to get along with your neighbor, because otherwise you’re in trouble.”he said.
The Prime Minister recalled that Albania has continuously invested in building cooperation bridges in the region, although he admitted that the issue of relations between Serbia and Kosovo continues to remain the biggest challenge.
“We have tried to do everything we could with a certain degree of success. But as far as the issue of Serbia and Kosovo is concerned, there is still a question mark,” declared Rama.
He repeated his position that Kosovo’s independence is an irreversible reality and that there is no possibility of going back.
“Kosovo is an independent state, a state that is recognized by many countries, not yet by all, but there is no turning back. There is no way to turn it into a new Serbian fantasy,” said the prime minister.
According to Rama, the acceptance of this reality by Serbia would help not only in the normalization of bilateral relations, but also in the long-term stabilization of the region.
“The sooner the Serbs realize that they have to see this as a fact of life, the better it will be for them, because they will not be haunted by this ghost that is not letting them fully normalize relations in the region,” he said.
