Edi Rama: Balkans is weakest link in relation to russian influence

EDI RAMA: BALKANS IS WEAKEST LINK IN RELATION TO RUSSIAN INFLUENCE

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama has said the Balkans are the region where Russia has its greatest influence on the continent of Europe, The Geopost reports. In an interview for the kdp.mk portal, he stressed that in the albanian geography of the region that influence is minimal, but again dangerous to undermine the objectives of euroatlantic integration of states.  

“Beyond those borders of those semi-dependent, semi-autonomous republics there from the steppes, of course the Balkans are even the weakest link of the entire chain of European countries in relation to Russian influence. Within the Balkans we have two completely opposite realities. We have the albanian, Albanian and Kosovo reality, where Russian influence is minimal even though Russia’s efforts to influence here have not been lacking,” Rama said.

He has underlined that there have been attempts to cause unrest in Albania, although Russia’s influence is small.

“Unfortunately, they found Albanians through whom they tried to do their damage by paying them, as you followed, but not all, they have not yet fully appeared in the eyes of the public. But at the end of the day, this is not that country and Albanians are not a nation that have any nostalgia or appetite for Russia. Russia is a great country with an extraordinary culture, an extraordinary history, great values, many geniuses, etc. But all this, today’s Russia is a country that is nothing worse. While Russia has different relations with other countries, and other countries have different approaches to Russia in terms of influence, and the whole Slavic Orthodox world is influenced by Russia, plus especially the Serbian world, for historical reasons, for reasons of traditional political constellations. “, Rama said.

According to the Albanian Prime Minister, Serbia’s stance against the imposition of sanctions against Russia , just like the US and the EU should not be seen as a risk for the increase of Russian influence in the Balkans.

” The issue of Serbia’s sanctions is an issue on which I have spoken and we can speak whenever you want, that Serbia should not be pressured to impose sanctions, like the rest of us, because it can not even do this politically, which is one difficulty, but the other difficulty is that it is not technically possible, because Serbia without Russian gas is finished. It is not Germany that can wait, and on the other hand, every Saturday the chancellor opens another liquid gas platform, even with much more expensive contracts made with Qatar and other countries. So on this issue of sanctions, I have a very firm position of my own”, said Rama.

Referring to the great Russian influence in Serbia, Rama said it was extraordinary that all six Western Balkan countries maintained unity in the United Nations in political and institutional terms regarding the war in Ukraine.

“Serbia has always voted the same as us and the same as the Western Front against aggression and the violation of territorial integrity, and this is very important to me. Because at the end of the day, we have to look out for our own interests. Emotions are important to make movies, to write memoirs, to relive one’s history to pass it on to generations, but interests determine the relations between states and the relations of a region,” Rama said.

According to him, the interest of the West and the Albanians is for Serbia to align itself with the EU and the USA, and not to isolate itself.

“What is our interest? For Serbia to be isolated, for Serbia to turn into a destructive force or for Serbia to integrate with all the difficulties, with all the obstacles, with all those struggles of its own in this community and that every crackle here that comes back, translates into gunfire and in people whose lives are put in danger to be avoided. I say the latter is more important. What is most important for the future of our children in this region, to inherit to them the passion to fight against each other and above all the thing that Albanians wherever they are and those of Kosovo specifically, since they have had most of the suffering under the Milosevic regime, they must never forget that Albanians won the war. Albanians have won their war,” Rama said.

Rama sees information about the use of Russian paramilitary groups in northern Kosovo, coup attempts in Montenegro in 2016 and in North Macedonia in 2017 as a danger to which the region should be more vigilant.

“Definitely the danger exists, and this danger will make us think about peace, think about maintaining a unity between the countries of the region. All those others will be accomplished. If we want Serbia to apologize to Kosovo one day, we have to make peace. Forgiveness is not so simple, it is a process. So we have to make peace. And it is much more difficult to work for peace … There are some who say that peace is much more difficult than war. I have not made war, I prefer peace. War, of course, is the last resort,” Rama stressed in an interview for the portal kdp.mk.