BERISHA: FLIRTING WITH GREATER ALBANIA?

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000686 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (TEXT - PARA 7) E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS KV AL SUBJECT: BERISHA: FLIRTING WITH GREATER ALBANIA? Classified By: Ambassador John L. Withers II for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: A series of public comments by Prime Minister Sali Berisha since August about "uniting the Albanian nation" have caused concern throughout the region. While the government assured Post that it had no intention of seeking the territorial unity of Albania and Kosovo, an early October op-ed by a media commentator close to Berisha calling for just that added fuel to the fire. In a private meeting with Berisha, the Ambassador warned the PM of the dangers of such statements and urged him to use his October 6-7 trip to Pristina to clarify Albania's position. Subsequently, in public statements during his trip to Pristina, Berisha stated unequivocally that Albania respects Kosovo's territorial sovereignty and that Albania and Kosovo are "one nation, but two states." He stressed that any integration of Kosovo and Albania would be in harmony with the ideals of integration into the European Union. While some critics see more devious designs behind Berisha's initial comments, most believe they simply reflect Berisha's clumsy attempts to become the "Elder Statesman" of the regional Albanian community. One good side-effect of the incident is a renewed effort by FM Ilir Meta to improve relations with Serbia. End Summary. "ONE ALBANIAN NATION" -------------- ¶2. (U) In early August, Berisha took his first probing steps into the waters of Kosovo politics when he met with the leaders of two Kosovar political parties and signed memorandums of cooperation with them. The parties - the Alliance for Kosovo's Future (AAK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) - were both seen as rivals to Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). In light of the upcoming local elections in Kosovo, some critics cried foul and blamed Berisha for taking sides in Kosovo's politics. ¶3. (SBU) PM Advisors have told Poloff that Berisha sees himself as a type of mentor or elder statesmen for Albanian politicians in Kosovo and Macedonia. According to these advisors, the PM is intent on playing a balanced hand in Kosovo's politics and thus, Berisha was obviously stung by critics' complaints. Many believe a controversial mid-August interview given to a Kosovar media outlet was an attempt by Berisha to answer these criticisms. In the interview, he stressed that he is open to cooperation with any and all political parties in Kosovo. However, he went on to call for the "union of the Albanian nation and the removal of the consequences of its unjust division." He laid out his desire to remove all barriers to the freedom of movement of goods and people across the Albania-Kosovo border and to harmonize all legislation between the two countries so that an Albanian from Albania and Kosovo "truly feel one." ¶4. (SBU) The Serbian government immediately protested Berisha's comments as provocative and "a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia." On August 19, then-Albanian Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha officially replied to Serbia's complaints, noting that Berisha's comments did not have to do with the territorial union of Kosovo and Albania, but with the European Union ideals of integration. The MFA also privately assured Post that there had been no change in Albanian policy on Kosovo and its respect for Kosovo's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "TWO SEPARATE STATES" -------------- ¶5. (U) In September, Berisha continued his meetings with various political parties from Kosovo, including the New Alliance for Kosovo (ARK) and the Liberal Party of Kosovo (PLK). He also announced his intention to visit Pristina on October 6-7. The trip was Berisha's first to Kosovo since it declared independence, and some have criticized the visit as belated. ¶6. (U) In the lead-up to Berisha's visit to Pristina, Blendi Fevziu, a well-known pro-government commentator rumored to be very close to Berisha published an op-ed in a pro-government newspaper criticizing the taboo against speaking of "Greater Albania." He went on to state that the unification of Kosovo and Albania are inevitable and he urged Albanians to not fear championing unification. An op-ed of this nature from someone close to Berisha on the eve of Berisha's trip to Kosovo caused some concern. ¶7. (C) In a private meeting with Berisha on October 5, Ambassador Withers raised these concerns. He noted that the Serbs are particularly sensitive to any suggestion of a "Greater Albania" and that raising this issue would complicate our efforts to advance peace and stability in the region. The Ambassador urged Berisha to use his trip to Kosovo to clarify Albania's support for Kosovo's sovereignty. Berisha responded that his public comments had been misunderstood and that he had never called for unifying the states of Albania and Kosovo. His concept of unity could only be realized in the context of both states' integration into Europe. In a separate meeting, FM Ilir Meta stressed that Albania's policy toward Kosovo's sovereignty and territorial integrity had not changed. ¶8. (U) During Berisha's visit to Pristina, Berisha was careful to stress in public statements that Albania and Kosovo are one nation, but two states, and that Albania did not seek to unify its territory with Kosovo's. In an interview with a German newspaper, Berisha stressed that ideas of a "Greater Albania" are "old and archaic." He went on to state "close cooperation between two states does not mean unification." COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) Although this most recent revival of Greater Albania seems extinguished for now, speculation is rife as to Berisha's motives. Some claim it was a trial balloon to test international reaction. Others say it was a response to recent harsh treatment of ethnic Albanians in Macedonia (refs) and to recent Greek minority demands for more privileges. Socialist Party member and former Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami claimed Berisha is competing with Skenderbeg for the title of Albanian national hero. Others argue that having achieved NATO membership and Kosovo independence and having put Albania on the road to European Union membership, Berisha has no great achievements left except the unification of Albanians under one state. ¶10. (C) More plausibly, several advisors to Berisha have told poloff of Berisha's desire to play the role of elder statesman and to reach out to Albanian politicians throughout the region. PM Advisor Glori Husi noted Berisha's desire to use ethnic Albanian links throughout the region as a catalyst for regional integration with Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and even Serbia, and in this way to bring the region closer to the European Union. Yet when the maladroit formation of this policy caused fears of "Greater Albania" among neighbors, the Berisha government found itself backpedaling and justifying. One good outcome from this misunderstanding is a renewed initiative by new Foreign Minister Ilir Meta to reach out to Serbia. During an October conference in Hungary, Meta met with his Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic and held a joint conference in which he announced that Jeremic had invited him to pay an official visit to Belgrade, which Meta had accepted. WITHERS