Andoni: Rama's call for measures against Belgrade distances himself from Serbia and brings him closer to Croatia

Journalist and analyst from Tirana, Ben Andoni, says for Kosovo Online that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's call for measures against Serbia after the events in Banjska aimed to achieve several things, including justifying his past favorable attitudes towards Belgrade and forging new partnerships in the Balkans.

Rama and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic issued a joint call for sanctions against Serbia on Monday after their meeting in Zagreb.

"In the eyes of the Albanian public, Rama's demand is reasonable, but it was, in a way, an excuse for all his previous attitudes towards Serbia. Rama's demand, which is in line with the Croatian Prime Minister, shows a new partnership for Albania in the Balkans. It seems that Albania is already distancing itself from Serbia, and it appears that the 'Open Balkan' has completed its mission and is getting closer to the Croatian alternative," Andoni said.

He points out that Rama distanced himself from his previous stance towards Serbia in Croatia, where he was previously in the same position as the European Union.

"After what happened in Banjska, Rama not only went against the European Union but also tried to dictate Brussels' attitude towards Serbia. It must be said that Prime Minister Rama's demand did not have a significant impact on Albanian public opinion. It is important only in a formal sense but does not affect the opinions of the Albanians, and this is due to his previous relationships with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, justifying him multiple times, even for his ties with Russia," Andoni believes.