Agreement on Normalization of Relations Serbia – Kosovo: Perspectives from Albania

Round Table – July 4th 2013 – Hotel Tirana International

Institute for Democracy and Mediation with the support of Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized  the Round Table : Agreement on Normalization of Relations Serbia – Kosovo: Perspectives from Albania. The event was attended by high representatives from different fields such as economy, politics, security, civil society, academia etc.

The panel members considered the agreement reached between Serbia and Kosovo as historical. The deputy minister of the Ministry of Defence Mr. Arjan Starova pointed out that the agreement was a positive step towards the security in the region that puts an end to the conflictual relations between these two countries. In addition, Mr. Lulzim Çota, specialist for Kosovo in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreed that new better relations are to be expected between the two communities that will have a great impact on the integration processes as well as on the stability of the region.

The agreement marks a revitalization of the a cooperation that has always been there, however, according to Mr. Gjergj Buxhuku, President of Konfindustria, this historical process does not end either with the agreement between Serbia and Kosovo or membership in the European Union. Representatives of business community highlighted also the economic benefits that come from this agreement from geostrategic perspective, where all three countries can benefit from this new regional environment.

The round table sparked a lot of interest and a vivid debate from participants who had a complex approach on the outcomes of this agreement and the impact it might have for the future. Media coverage of the round table was also significant, providing to the audience alternative approaches and perspectives on relation with Serbia and Kosovo as well the regional cooperation as an important factor for the development of the Balkan Region.

The event aimed to provide a platform of communication and unbiased debate with the inclusion of policy makers, professionals from different fields, civil society organizations, academic circles, and media concerning the agreement seen from the Albanian perspective. In addition the event revealed the implications that this agreement brings for the inter-state relations Albania – Kosovo, as well as the relations between the Albanian communities and Serb communities in the Balkan Region.

This Round Table is part of the events foreseen to take place in the framework of the project: Security Research Forum Belgrade – Tirana – Prishtina: Resolving the Security Dilemmas in the Western Balkans, that the Institute  for Democracy and Mediation is implementing in cooperation with Belgrade Centre for Security Policy  (www.bezbednost.org) and Kosovo Centre for Security Studies (www.qkss.org) with the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this context can be mentioned the Regional Public Forum organized in Tirana, and the Regional Public Forum organized in Kosovo on May 28th, with the same topic.