Incident with Osmani in Skopje: Diplomatic Scandal or Message?

Technical misunderstanding, diplomatic incident, or political message? The question is whose address it came from, and for now, three are mentioned: Skopje, Belgrade, and Pristina. The discomfort that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani experienced last week on her return from Paris has far exceeded the passenger check area of Skopje International Airport.

Written by: Arsenije Vuckovic

"Unprecedented scandal." This is how the incident with President Vjosa Osmani was mostly described in Pristina.

But this event has become the main topic for politicians and analysts throughout the region.

Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla sent a protest note to the Government of North Macedonia over this event, while at the same time, officials from that country stated that they are rapidly working on clarifying the entire case and that if proven, the culprits will be held accountable.

The fact that the Osmani case has been elevated to the highest level was also shown by yesterday's visit of Prime Minister Albin Kurti to Skopje and his meeting with his Macedonian counterpart Hristijan Mickoski.

After the meeting, Kurti said he does not see the incident as a provocation by the Macedonian authorities.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave its statement presenting the Government's position, and we also saw the stance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia. I believe we should aim for the truth and heal the tension. Therefore, let the case be clarified, that is what the competent authorities are doing," Kurti said.

Mickoski also had conciliatory tones, at least in the part where he said that Osmani is always welcome in North Macedonia.

In the other part, he reminded that he himself respects procedures.

"We have also opened topics that are important for the two countries on a political level, especially the recent event that happened on August 2 with the President of Kosovo. In conversations with those present, it was emphasized that according to the information we have from the Airport Authority, clear standards and international procedures must be respected when we have commercial flights. Even I, as the prime minister, president, and all officials who pass through the VIP area, use it like all ordinary citizens who are also subject to all procedures," Mickoski said.

And that was supposed to put a period on the issue.

And it would have remained that way had the Presidency not issued a statement today, expressing regret over the way the incident was "resolved" yesterday in Skopje, stating that the press conference only further contributes to the propaganda and defamation of Kosovo.

"President Osmani has, throughout her political career and especially during her tenure as President of the country, contributed to the development and deepening of positive relations with North Macedonia. However, she cannot in any way accept the defamation of Kosovo. This situation can easily be overcome if there is political will from official Skopje," reads the statement from Osmani's office. This is just part of an extensive statement in which it is claimed that Osmani never asked to exceed or violate procedures, but rather to respect international rules, as is done worldwide.

The fact that the incident with Osmani last Thursday went beyond the VIP area of the airport is also evidenced by yesterday's arrest and criminal charge against S. S., the head of the Personal Security Department of the President of the Assembly.

The Minister of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia, Pance Toskovski, announced on his Facebook profile that this policeman was suspended because he was sent to the airport by the President of the Assembly, Afrim Gash, to resolve the misunderstanding. However, everything ended with an even bigger problem as he began threatening those present and demanded that Osmani be escorted to the plane by car.

While analyst from North Macedonia, Mersel Bilali, claims that the incident was not accidental, former ambassador to North Macedonia, Djerdj Dedaj, believes that this event is a failure of Kosovo's diplomacy and a "typical primitive diplomatic scandal."

"This is a failure of Kosovo's diplomacy. Some cracks between Osmani, Gervalla, and Kurti are being investigated. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the one that monitors and facilitates this through the Embassy of Kosovo in Macedonia," Dedaj pointed out.

Analyst Albert Musliu claims that this incident is a result of the new Macedonian government's rapprochement with Serbia, while others do not exclude the possibility of an inter-Albanian conflict, which, at least in terms of North Macedonia, has been simmering since before the elections.

Political Aspect

Among those addressing this issue is the Dean of the Faculty of Law, International Relations, and Diplomacy from Skopje, Atanas Kozarev.

In an interview with Kosovo Online, he stated that the incident in Skopje involving President Vjosa Osmani has multiple aspects, with the political one highlighting the ongoing conflict between VLEN and DUI.

"The goal of our politicians is to build good relations between both countries, as we are neighbors, and in that context, I think that such events can only open some Pandora's boxes that are not needed at this moment. The political aspect related to this event has shown us on the surface that the war between the VLEN front and the 'European Front' DUI is still ongoing," Kozarev believes.

He explains that the incident with Vjosa Osmani has caused significant problems for politicians, diplomats, and security experts.

"In a way, it has opened a dilemma as to whether the reaction was justified and whether that reaction sends some message, both to our politicians and our political scene and to Kosovo," the expert believes.

Emphasizing the security aspect, he explains that North Macedonia and Skopje Airport security are making great efforts to increase safety due to potential terrorist activities, and these procedures apply to everyone, including passengers.

"From that point of view, I think that what happened, which we as the public have managed to learn about, is an event that has no positive connotation, but it does open certain questions with a political background. I have really touched on the security aspect because the security screening of all passengers, not only at our airport but everywhere in the world, is the number one issue, regardless of who it is. We must invest heavily in the quality of security, both at the airport itself and for all those who pass through or transit," says Kozarev.

He adds that after the diplomatic note was sent, everyone expects that the investigation will dispel all speculations that question the relationship between North Macedonia and Kosovo.

In this light, he also sees yesterday's visit of Prime Minister Albin Kurti to Skopje.

"Kurti's visit sends a signal to our government that the relations between the two countries are more than normal and that the friendship is deepening," the expert believes. He adds that the incident has only deepened the crisis among Albanian parties both in North Macedonia and Kosovo.

"The opposition in Macedonia, and I believe in Kosovo as well, has used this moment to show who is who. The conflict is about legitimacy. How much the current VLEN leadership actually contributes to demonstrating its power through its engagement and involvement in this trivial case, which might have been devised to provoke a reaction such as what has occurred here on the political scene. We hear daily accusations between the European Front and VLEN, especially regarding this issue, even with specific questions: who stands behind the behavior of the President of Kosovo and who stands behind the behavior of the TAV members and the police officers at Skopje International Airport to score points. I guarantee you that the Macedonian police, at the highest level, care about the safety of our citizens as well as all foreigners who come or transit through Skopje International Airport," Kozarev concludes.

Between Problems and Scandals

On the other hand, Milos Pavkovic, an associate at the Center for European Policy, believes that the technical issue President Vjosa Osmani experienced in Skopje has escalated into a diplomatic scandal between North Macedonia and Kosovo.

"Essentially, this is a technical procedure that has resulted in a diplomatic dispute and a diplomatic scandal between Kosovo and Macedonia," says Pavkovic.

He adds that this procedure is mandated at all international airports.

"But it is evident, it seems to me, that there is a tendency among Vjosa Osmani and, generally, among Albanian political representatives in the Balkans, to simply believe they should not be subjected to the same procedures as all other passengers at the airport. They may think that if they use VIP sections and special procedures, they can avoid baggage checks. This is indeed the case for previously scheduled interstate visits. However, since Vjosa Osmani was not on an official visit to Skopje but was traveling from Paris back to Pristina, the airport security, in accordance with procedures, wanted to subject her to checks, which she refused. So, this is the essence of the whole problem. A technical issue that has grown into a diplomatic scandal and conflict," explains Pavkovic.

Commenting on speculations that the incident was provoked by the authorities in North Macedonia or that it was influenced by "Serbian influence," Pavkovic says there is no evidence for either of these claims.

"We have no evidence for either claim. We do not know who the specific officials were, but it seems they tried to adhere to official procedures. Therefore, it is difficult to interpret whether there was any external influence. Additionally, the Albanian factor and the political division among Albanian parties could have had an impact," this analyst believes.

He adds that similar diplomatic incidents have not been recorded in the region in the recent past.

"It is interesting that there have not been such examples in the recent past. So, this is not something that used to happen. Now, the question arises why Vjosa Osmani behaved this way, why she wanted to avoid control, and in doing so created a diplomatic scandal. The essence is that, generally, governments try to maintain good relations and avoid creating such scandals and problems for each other. This incident did happen, and now the damage is already done," Pavkovic emphasizes.

Vienna Convention

Srđan Barac, an associate at the Center for Social Stability, emphasizes that the key issue is the respect and application of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

He points out that this document does not apply to "states with limited sovereignty."

"When we talk about the Vienna Convention, we are talking about states that are members of the United Nations, about recognized states. Here we are talking about a state with limited statehood and discussing the president of such a state that does not have all elements of statehood, and therefore cannot be granted and enjoy full privileges," Barac highlights for Kosovo Online.

According to him, based on reports and statements, there was a "misunderstanding" between Osmani and the officials at Skopje Airport, which then escalated into an incident.

"It probably resulted from a small misunderstanding regarding the significance Vjosa Osmani attributes to herself and what the Skopje Airport official assessed, which is that she neither had the designation nor the diplomatic preferences that imply the confidentiality of her luggage. Her privileges were not threatened in that manner; they simply wanted to inspect her luggage. As far as we have seen, she refused, leading to some scuffle, which could be considered a diplomatic incident since it already surpasses established practices," Barac believes.

Barac primarily blames Osmani's security detail for the incident, stating that they reacted in an undiplomatic manner.

"I would conclude that there was probably a lapse on the part of Vjosa Osmani's security personnel, who reacted in what I would call an undiplomatic manner, putting North Macedonian representatives in a position where they had to defend their officials and institutions. They represent their state and need to show that their state has certain strength. We can draw an analogy from past events that were later clarified. Usually, it comes down to misunderstandings, or things get lost in translation," Barac explains.

When asked if this incident could be interpreted differently, this researcher does not rule out the possibility of "inter-Albanian games" regarding who is the central figure in North Macedonia.

"There could be a basis for the thesis that someone sent a message to draw attention to the fact that she is not as welcome. On the other hand, the entire process got out of control. These are simply their games. Whether it was Kurti or someone else who got involved and wanted to send a message about who is the main figure in North Macedonia regarding the Albanian factor. I would rather leave it as a game between themselves, and let them resolve it themselves," Barac concludes.

Protocols and Misinterpretation

This thesis is confirmed by journalist and analyst from North Macedonia, Xhelal Neziri.

In an interview with Kosovo Online, he emphasizes that last week's incident is not the only one Vjosa Osmani has experienced at Skopje Airport and that the key problem lies in "different interpretations" between security protocols and the reading of international law and conventions by Osmani's office.

He is convinced, however, that everything was resolved at yesterday's meeting between the Prime Ministers of North Macedonia and Kosovo, Hristijan Mickoski and Albin Kurti.

"I think everything was clarified at the meeting. I don't know if the meeting was organized specifically for this case, but there are facts and records that can shed light on the case very quickly. Kurti and Mickoski said they would wait for the final report from the relevant authorities, but I think things were clarified at that meeting. This incident was not the first during the president's travels through Skopje Airport. We can judge or assess from the outside how to avoid such incidents and how to prevent them from happening in the future when it comes to the travels of Kosovo officials through Skopje Airport," says Neziri.

According to him, this is not the first time Osmani has had problems at Skopje Airport.

"Both Kosovo and Macedonian authorities know that this incident is not the first. The President has faced similar incidents every time she traveled on a commercial flight through Skopje Airport. But the difference is that, until now, these incidents were not reported by the media. The mistake of the Kosovo President's PR team was publicly complaining that she faced obstacles from the airport security staff. There is a significant misunderstanding or conflict between what the airport's security protocol is and the interpretation of international law, conventions, and orders by the Office of the President of Kosovo. And that is the whole problem. Both Mickoski and Kurti are aware of such situations, they have analyzed all the documents and facts, and I think that this and previous incidents will not contribute to the deterioration of the good political and economic relations between North Macedonia and Kosovo," Neziri believes.

Therefore, he claims, this incident does not contain hidden messages.

He suggests that any hidden messages might be the result of conflicts within the Kosovar political scene.

"Given that Kurti and Osmani have not been on good terms recently, or there have been reports suggesting this, it could be the result of internal conflicts between DUI and VLEN. So, if this incident repeats and is brought to the public, perhaps the interest was not in sending a message from Kosovo to Macedonia and vice versa, but a result of political conflicts, regardless of whether in Macedonia or Kosovo. I do not believe that this is a message from the official Pristina to Skopje. For another reason, Mickoski and Kurti have stable relations even before Mickoski became Prime Minister. The trust between them is at a satisfactory level, and I do not believe this incident is a message from the Kosovo government to Skopje," Neziri concludes.