Berisha: True relations between Pristina and Tirana take place behind the scenes

The President of the Albanian National Council in Serbia, Demo Berisha, says for Kosovo Online that the relationship between Tirana and Pristina is currently in a "state of dormancy," and, as a result, he does not expect the upcoming Albanian Flag Day to be marked with a joint government session as it was in the past. However, he emphasizes the need to distinguish between the visible discord between the two prime ministers and what is happening "behind the scenes" and at lower levels, where Albania and Kosovo continue to cooperate closely.

As an example of the aligned goals between Tirana and Pristina, despite strained relations between the two prime ministers, Berisha noted the recent visit of Shaip Kamberi, a member of the Serbian Parliament, to Tirana. During the visit, Albania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accepted an invitation to advocate for the rights of Albanians in the "Presevo Valley."

"The true relations between Pristina and Tirana are those that happen 'behind the scenes,' as opposed to what is visible to the public. What we see publicly is a complete cooling of relations between Edi Rama, Albin Kurti, and Vjosa Osmani. On the other hand, Albania’s President Bajram Begaj has a completely different approach. He strives for a national perspective, while Rama focuses more on economic cooperation," Berisha explained.

According to him, communication between Albania and Kosovo continues at ministerial and lower levels. He mentions the practical removal of the "border" between Kosovo and Albania during the summer holiday season as an example.

Berisha also points out that the breakdown of relations between Rama and Kurti occurred when Rama openly supported the Open Balkan initiative.

"Rama is pursuing Albania's economic development, while Kurti and his team are clinging to a false sense of patriotism, cultivated over recent years with the euphoria of 'victory over Serbia.' The clash between Rama, Osmani, and Kurti also stems from Rama's reluctance to condemn, or, as they would put it, to 'call by its real name' what happened in 1999. They expect Rama to declare that Serbia committed genocide in Kosovo, whereas he refers to it as a war crime, which might be partially accurate, as war inherently brings casualties," Berisha added.

He reminds that the governments of North Macedonia and Kosovo have held two joint sessions, similar to the earlier sessions between the governments of Kosovo and Albania. However, he does not expect any significant joint ceremonies between Pristina and Tirana by the end of the year because, as he says, Kurti is entering the final phase of his election campaign and is struggling with an evident decline in his approval ratings.