What did Blinken bring to Albania: Tirana and Rama take the place of Pristina and Kurti

Written by: Dragan Bisenic

When an American expert from Johns Hopkins University, Edward Joseph, on the day Kosovo celebrated its "independence", tried to explain the Biden administration's change of stance towards Kosovo and the President of the Pristina government, Albin Kurti, he pointed out that the administration of President Biden understandably had "had enough of Prime Minister Albin Kurti".

"As pressure mounts after his failure with the abolition of the dinar, Washington, along with Brussels, once again praises Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic," Joseph wrote and then elaborated in detail on why and how this happened.

The message itself did not provoke as much reaction as Joseph's assessment that the mood of the Biden administration was "understandable". This implies that Kosovo and Albin Kurti made such gestures and moves that Washington simply could not overlook.

Those who opposed this assessment cited numerous arguments why this was not "understandable" - from claims that Kurti is merely defending Kosovo's sovereignty and constitutionality, to allegations that the US is once again pursuing a policy of "double standards". Indeed, the past week has been rich in events that collectively had an unfavorable outcome for the government in Pristina and its prime minister.

What particularly set them apart was related to the American attitude, where, indeed, the question arises as to whether Kurti crossed the line of permissible confrontation with the administration this time, and whether his inevitable downfall now follows.

The tone to all of this was set by the highest officials of the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Deputy for Europe, James O'Brien, although O'Brien's statement regarding the abolition of the dinar in Kosovo chronologically preceded Blinken's visit to Tirana. His sharp address was welcomed by former US Envoy to the Balkans, Richard Grenell, who stated he was "happy" that the Biden administration had "finally adopted Trump's policy towards Kosovar Prime Minister Kurti".

The US Secretary of State spent only eight hours in Tirana, but in a short time, he enthusiastically praised Albania's role, Prime Minister Edi Rama, the significance of the partnership with the US, and awarded Albania a leadership position in the region. Indeed, Rama was visibly pleased. Assessments from the US Secretary of State emphasized that the Albanian government is the most reliable and closest partner to the US in the broader region. Edi Rama was described as an excellent politician and a very good Prime Minister, the most reliable partner of the US and its allies, and a leader of the Western Balkans. All of this indicates how highly the Albanian Prime Minister is regarded in American eyes.

This represents just one aspect of the American dichotomy in relation to the Albanians in the region.

One Albanian commentator noted that everything "seemed like a bad coincidence of scheduling". While Secretary of State Blinken declared in Tirana that Albania's behavior towards Kosovo and the region is the right path for every Balkan country, at the same time, the US Ambassador to Kosovo, anxious about Albin Kurti, convened an emergency press conference, reiterating the Deputy Secretary of State's stance that Kosovo is losing the partnership with the US.

"So, at the same time, on the same day, and in two Albanian capitals, the US considers Albania a secure partner and a symbol of the policy the Balkan region should adopt, while the behavior of the Kosovo Government is seen as behavior that is losing the partnership with the US".

Just a day before the visit, Rama stated that every attack on Kosovo was an attack on Albania. He said that Albania would stand "by Kosovo, even if things, God forbid, reach a point where it's no longer about words, but weapons".

"Albania is not just a geographic entity or a state entity that has a special relationship with Kosovo. Every attack on Kosovo is an attack on Albania, but on the other hand, we must never forget you. Therefore, we must take care of everything when we take measures regarding allies, that Kosovo is not alone, not only because it has Albania, but because it has strategic allies, which we know well, without whom Kosovo would not exist today as a state and with whom Kosovo can achieve all that we all want. So, for that reason, we should think every day about the weight and importance of allies, even when you are in complete peace when you need as many friends as possible, and when you lose friends or cool their hearts, it's the most undesirable thing," Rama said.

This statement by the Albanian Prime Minister, nuanced in many aspects and controversial in some, did not elicit a public comment from Blinken, but perhaps some reaction came in another way, as Rama, after Blinken's visit, made a statement in which he now, in his usual manner, spoke about the inevitability and necessity of continuing the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, which he continued at the Munich Security Conference.

It's worth reminding that Albania is a NATO member, and no NATO member could, even if it wanted to, simply by sovereign decision, start a war that would bind the Alliance without engaging the alliance or obtaining NATO's consent. Rama's statement, in that sense, is "jumping the gun", but it's not a reliable promise, except that in rhetorical terms, it militarizes the context in which Kosovo is discussed. It's easiest to make promises, even drastic ones, knowing they won't be fulfilled. Blinken could certainly have commented on such rhetoric from the Albanian Prime Minister, but he could also have overlooked it, as otherwise, all of Europe is buzzing with preparations for new wars.

In the statement that followed the conclusion of Blinken's visit, the tones were changed. There were no longer any words about "Albania standing by Kosovo", but the statements of the Albanian Prime Minister addressed to Pristina were on completely different wavelengths from what the Kosovo Prime Minister would have liked to hear. Through different, more literary formulations, Rama reinforced his demands and expectations that were in line with O'Brien's statement.

However, it seems that Rama heard more from the US Secretary of State than what he conveyed at the press conference, especially concerning Kosovo and the relationship with Albin Kurti. This can easily be seen from the comments in the Albanian press, which is close to the Albanian Prime Minister and is usually well-informed. In those comments, it was directly stated that the Biden administration was "fed up with Albin Kurti" and that its "patience with him is running out", so Edward Joseph had a clear indication of which way the wind was blowing when he offered his explanation for the expected change in the course of the US administration.

Albanian media particularly highlighted that Blinken informed the hosts that if Kurti stubbornly continued to ignore consultations and cooperation with partners, further communications regarding Kosovo would "go through official Tirana". Therefore, Rama should be the tutor to Kurti and Kosovo in future contacts with international actors, or "allies".

Albanian media write that "the strongest message from Blinken about Kosovo, communicated between the lines, was the fatigue of partners and the boredom due to Kurti's attitudes and actions... If Kurti continues to behave like this towards partners, the problem of negotiations, discussions about the future, the way of support, and concern for Kosovo in the future will be topics for official Tirana. In short, if Kurti continues to play political tricks with allies, Albania will, in a way, be the 'guardian' of Kosovo and a mediator between Pristina and its allies," Albanian commentators emphasized.

Albanian media see this just as the first steps, while the situation could quickly become even more serious.

"These are the first signs of fatigue from the US, EU, and Britain due to Kurti's actions in the confrontation with allies, the latest concerning the Serbian dinar in Kosovo. But the possibility of the situation accelerating with other actions is not ruled out, from sanctioning the leadership to a decrease in interest in supporting Kosovo's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, reducing cooperation in all fields with Kosovo". They announce that the military base in Urosevac could also "suffer", which could soon move to the south. "Why not 'suffer' the Urosevac military base in Kosovo, which could slowly move to Albania, as the safest country and the most reliable partner of the West in the region, but also as a leader in the region? The 'cards' are on the table; the US and other allies invest only in secure countries.

This is supported by Blinken's rather "dry" congratulatory message on Kosovo's "independence", in which the demand for the continuation and respect of the Brussels dialogue was conspicuously repeated, which, in fact, was a formulation condemning unilateral moves by Pristina.

That's why Rama said in Munich that Kosovo was not negotiating with Serbia but with the EU and the US, and that all Kosovo needed to do was sign a paper and hand it over to Lajcak, saying "We are ready to implement it".

Rama's scenario seems attractive and enticing when spoken at a conference, but in reality, everything is different. The basis of Kurti's behavior and the basis for the rift with the US is his determination not to form the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities. It has been clear from the beginning of the dialogue, especially since the alleged acceptance of the Brussels Agreement, and the Ohrid Annex, that Albin Kurti does not intend to create any Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, even of a symbolic nature.

All US officials were saying in unison several months ago that the CSM must be formed "immediately"; and that it was an "urgent" and "priority" task, but nothing came of it. Albin Kurti seems to have better assessed than the "allies" where their "power" and "impotence" lie in Kosovo, so he doesn't have to fulfill what he dislikes, especially if the situation on the ground is close to his actual plans.

Let's recall, in Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo, there are still mayors who have "zero legitimacy", and the demand from the EU and the US for organizing new elections and the resignations of current mayors have not progressed beyond signing petitions. Albin Kurti knows very well that in the battle for the favor of the Albanians in Kosovo, his policy takes precedence over Rama's.

Therefore, while Secretary Blinken was in Tirana, a solemn unveiling of a statue of Albin Kurti was held in Podujevo. Media in Tirana astonishingly noted that even Enver Hoxha did not dare to erect his own bust "but Albin did". "Perhaps this is a good sign and goes to its 'home' – the opposition," they predict.

Albanian media, therefore, demand that Albanians "once and for all decide" whether they are with allies who liberated them, created a state, and still protect them, or whether they are with those who, for the sake of power, are leading this country towards complete isolation and exposure to those who never wished them well. When this becomes clear, they warn, it may be too late and without a chance to re-establish the "once effective partnership with our Western allies".