Western Balkans office in Tirana: Why did the European Parliament choose Albania?

New York, Djibouti, Addis Ababa... now on that map is also Tirana. The European Parliament announced that it will establish a Western Balkans office in Albania. For Kosovo Online’s interlocutors, from Brussels to Tirana, it is undoubtedly a clear signal that the EU is thinking about this part of Europe. At the same time, they emphasize that this is not only proof of Albania's progress in the accession process but also due to more favorable prices compared to other major regional capitals.

Written by: Djordje Barovic

"In the context of heightened geopolitical tensions and the renewed momentum for EU enlargement, the new office of the European Parliament in Tirana will serve as a key contact point between the EU Parliament and the national parliaments, civil society, and local partners in the Western Balkans," reads the European Parliament’s statement.

The European Parliament states that it currently has three operational liaison offices in New York, for relations with the United Nations, in Jakarta, for relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and in Addis Ababa, for relations with the African Union.

"The opening of two additional offices in Albania and Moldova follows the earlier decision by the Bureau of the Parliament to open offices in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Panama to address relations with Latin America and the Caribbean," the EP’s website explains.

Strengthening Cooperation

In an interview with Kosovo Online’s Brussels correspondent, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Albania, Andreas Schieder, assessed that it was a huge success to "convince the European Parliament that the liaison office is extremely important for future close relations between the countries of the Western Balkans and the European Union."

"The office is responsible for the entire Western Balkans region and all of its different countries. The idea is to strengthen relations and information. It will also be important not only to work with parliaments and government officials but to function as a central point for involving people," Schieder says.

The choice of Tirana came after technical assessments, Schieder reveals.

"The decision about the specific city and location followed technical assessments regarding accessibility, place, cost, and connections. But, of course, the status of the country as an EU candidate also had a positive impact," Schieder specifies.

The European Parliament announced to Kosovo Online that the opening of the office in Tirana is part of the EU’s strategic enlargement plan and will be "a key contact point" with the Western Balkans.

"The office in Tirana will have the task of becoming a key contact point between the European Parliament and national parliaments, as well as establishing networks with civil society and local partners in the Western Balkans to raise awareness about the work of the European Parliament," they explained for our portal.

Regarding Albania’s selection for the office opening, the European Parliament explains that this country has made significant progress in the accession negotiations, but its full integration into the European family will depend on further progress.

When asked whether Albania has been singled out as the closest to EU membership, it was explained that Albania has made "significant progress during the accession negotiations."

"However, its path depends on further progress. Other countries in the Western Balkans, such as Montenegro, also have every right to hope for the conclusion of their accession negotiations before the end of this parliamentary mandate," they explained for KO.

A “Sign” from Europe

Political analyst and editor at RTV Albania 1, Gert Selenica, told Kosovo Online that the opening of the European Parliament’s office is good news not only for Albania but for the entire Western Balkans, as the EU is sending a message that it has directed its attention to this region.

"The opening of the European Parliament’s headquarters in Tirana is good news, especially for Albania but also for the Balkans as a whole. Of course, it also relates to the processes in which the region is involved. We have several countries in the region preparing or close to closing chapters in the process of opening negotiations for EU membership," Selenica emphasizes.

However, she does not believe that opening this office will directly impact better cooperation and reconciliation in the Western Balkans.

"In a broader perspective, it might have some effect, but the primary goal is to strengthen the relationship between the European Parliament as an institution and these countries in the region. Nevertheless, it will undoubtedly carry out activities that will be regional, so we can say that this is certainly a long-term goal," Kacarska concludes.

"Momentum" of Enlargement

On the other hand, researcher at the Belgrade Center for European Policy, Djordje Dimitrov, assesses that the opening of the European Parliament office in Albania should be viewed as an attempt by this European institution to strengthen its presence in the Western Balkans by leveraging the "momentum of enlargement" through closer cooperation with local parliaments and civil society.

"The European Parliament has likely decided to take advantage of this enlargement momentum and, through its office in Tirana—which will coordinate with the entire Western Balkans—strengthen its presence in the region and simply enhance cooperation not only with the national parliaments of the six Western Balkan states but also with civil society and other stakeholders. This will most likely resemble liaison offices that the European Parliament has in member states," Dimitrov told Kosovo Online.

He explains that the office in Tirana will consist of "desks," each responsible for a specific country, its civil sector, and specific issues.

"They will simply try to be more efficient because they will now be closer to the Western Balkans in a way that the region will no longer have to travel to Brussels. This proximity will likely save a lot of time, energy, and, of course, resources," Dimitrov emphasizes.

He notes that Albania was chosen not only due to its stable parliamentary functioning but also because of its lower costs compared to other capitals.

"Among the Western Balkan countries, Tirana is one of the best-connected cities in Europe. This is thanks to good decisions by the Albanian authorities, who have renovated their airport, which has the highest growth rate in the Western Balkans. This likely played a significant role—its connectivity with Brussels and the rest of Europe, along with lower costs compared to, for example, Belgrade. Belgrade has a tense atmosphere and was certainly not considered for opening this office," Dimitrov believes.

A Message to the Western Balkans

Political analyst from Pristina, Shkëlzen Maliqi, believes that the opening of the European Parliament office in Tirana indicates that Albania is becoming an increasingly important factor. He also sees it as the EU sending a message to the Western Balkans that they are counted on as future members.

"Over the last ten years, Albania has become an increasingly important player, and diplomats now like to go there. In the past, it used to be Sarajevo, but geographically, it has now become isolated. Of course, there is also a plan for Europe to show its willingness towards the region and to continue with the accession process, which had been postponed for some time," Maliqi told Kosovo Online.

According to this plan, Albania and Montenegro should be the first to join the EU, but he believes this could happen at the earliest in three years.

"But work is being done on it. Edi Rama and Albania have played that role and are trying in various ways to bring other countries closer, first through the Open Balkan initiative, and then they returned to the Berlin Process, emphasizing that it is necessary for the six countries that were designated in 2003 to become part of the EU. Montenegro and Albania are closest to this goal, and then the same opportunity is given to others. However, the economic and political turbulence is so great that everything is, in a way, 'hanging in the balance,'" Maliqi points out.

Albania was chosen as the new location for the European Parliament office due to the influence of official Tirana, especially over the past decade.

Maliqi recalls that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has maintained good relations with both Serbia and Kosovo.

However, he describes cooperation with Albin Kurti as "less cordial."

"These meetings are no longer as warm as before due to a slightly more personal rivalry between Kurti and Rama. Sometimes, Rama takes on the role of an older brother, but Kurti is also somewhat unpredictable. He wants to dictate things to the great powers on his own, giving them lessons on how to behave. I think he will have to tone it down," Maliqi believes.

On the other hand, he reminds that since coming to power, the Albanian prime minister has been building strategic relations with neighboring countries—from Greece, Turkey, and Italy—while also trying to revive economic cooperation in the region.

"First through the Open Balkan initiative, and now through the Berlin Process. These are very similar projects. In that sense, he guarantees more openness and the idea that we, the six countries, should work internally to improve the rule of law. Albania has been a leader in this, as there is a special anti-corruption structure that has arrested a former president, the mayor of Tirana, many ministers… all due to corruption," Maliqi concludes.

"Awakening" of the EU

Petar Donic, a fellow at New Third Way, believes that the opening of the European Parliament office in Albania is part of the EU's strategy for "awakening" and taking on a greater role in global affairs.

"This aligns with the current European strategy of awakening and assuming a greater role in the world and global activities. Why Albania? We could interpret it as a continuation of Europe's traditional policies, but it is still too early to say whether this is true because we are waiting for America's response. The U.S. and Europe will make some decisions regarding Kosovo and further policies in the Western Balkans in tandem," Donic told Kosovo Online.

He explains that these offices serve to accelerate and facilitate agreements, as well as to organize various types of visits by European officials and coordinate with civil society.

"There was initially an idea to establish it in Montenegro, but that was abandoned. There is one in New York that coordinates activities in North America, and another in Djibouti that oversees activities in that region. There is also talk of opening one in Panama," Donic specifies.

He is also convinced that the work of this office will align with the statements of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte regarding the need to stabilize and normalize relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

"One of the office’s agendas should be to promote and coordinate the pro-European agenda, European values, and European interests, essentially integrating the Western Balkans more closely with Europe. Therefore, it will certainly have a positive role in stabilizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina, further consolidating the Western Balkans region, and advancing its European path," Donic emphasizes.