Cupi: Albania’s candidate not elected to lead the OSCE due to Greece

Tirana-based analyst Frok Cupi believes that Albania’s Foreign Minister Igli Hasani, who was the country’s candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the OSCE, was not elected because Greece has, in recent years, consistently sought to prevent Albania from being included in high-level positions in such international organizations.

“This didn’t happen because Albania’s Foreign Minister is an unknown figure—on the contrary, he comes from the field of human rights and has experience with the OSCE. The problem here is Greece,” Cupi told Kosovo Online.

Last week, the OSCE Ministerial Council appointed new senior officials for the organization, including Feridun Sinirlioglu from Turkey as Secretary-General and Maria Telalian from Greece as Head of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

“Currently, it seems that the problems between Albania and Greece are not very significant, and the situation is not so tense. Both governments are careful not to engage in sharp disputes. However, Greece is determined to obstruct Albania on its path to European integration.

This is a threat to the Western Balkans coming from outside the region. Greece behaves this way because, in recent years, it has lost its leading role in the Balkans, which has created a sense of inferiority compared to other Balkan countries that are not EU members, such as Albania, Serbia, or Montenegro, but are getting closer to joining the Union. This has influenced decisions within the OSCE,” Cupi stated.

Regarding what Greece and Turkey, from their positions in the OSCE, can do for the Western Balkans, Cupi said the answer cannot be entirely positive, as neither country stands out for its respect for human rights. He emphasized that Greece has significant issues with minorities within its own borders.