“Although Albania gravitates to the Mediterranean space and Serbia to the Central European we are both sharing the European destiny. We need the EU with all its problems and hopefully we will be there in the foreseeable future if it survives. It is even our duty to help its consolidation for our own sake,” has said Dr. Jelica Minic
By Genc Mlloja
Senior Diplomatic Editor
“Besides the health system shock and public health concerns, the Covid -19 pandemic has deeply shaken political, social, justice, educational, economic and financial systems in Serbia and all over the World. In Serbia, we are experiencing now one of the sharpest responses to the epidemic according to the Chinese model,” has said Dr. Jelica Minic, President of European Movement in Serbia (EMS) in an exclusive interview with Albanian Daily News.
Dr. Minic, who was in Tirana in the Annual Forum of the Joint Centre for Albania-Serbia Relations held on 3-4 March 2020, which also touched upon the regional cooperation, feels reluctant that first reactions towards the pandemic all over the world were very selfish while bilateral assistance in the Western Balkans was not visible.
“The people in our region were deeply disappointed with the lack of solidarity in the EU, among its Member States and towards its close neighborhood,” said Dr. Minic who underscored that the situation has changed to a certain extent as the Union has approved support package of 410 million euros in bilateral financial assistance to the Western Balkans. ‘We truly need the EU. But initial disappointment with its coronacrisis management is deep. However, the main EU problem is not going to be with the Western Balkans but with its Member States primarily.”
Answering a question on Serbia- Albania relations Dr. Minic, who has extensive work experience in various institutions and organizations: media, scientific institutions, non-governmental organizations, state administration and international organizations, was of the opinion that the two countries do not have any open issues except the different attitudes to the Kosovo status on which they “agree to disagree”. But she noted that the two states are very active in supporting and developing regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and she mentioned the establishment on the Regional Youth Cooperation Office as their joint initiative, WB6 Chamber Investment Forum, Regional Economic Area, “Mini Schengen” etc.
The EMS President pointed out that Serbs and Albanians do not know much and are not very interested for each others. “About 40% of citizens in both countries have positive or partly positive attitude to the other side. About 50-60% perceives each other as aggressive, but also as loyal and hard working. With all answers combined mutual perceptions are not so bad, and both of them do not perceive each other as the “top enemy” in the region,” she said.
In a comment on the individual international and regional positions of Albania and Serbia the veteran Serbian political researcher is of the opinion that Albania is clearly and indisputably on the European path and highly devoted to its Euro-Atlantic partnership while Serbia besides the declarative aspirations to join the EU it is playing with the Russian and Chinese cards as well. “These differences are visible in the public opinion of the two countries – high support to the EU integration in Albania and decreasing one in Serbia,” she said. However Dr. Minic said that both countries need the EU with all its problems and “hopefully we will be there in the foreseeable future if it survives. It is even our duty to help its consolidation for our own sake.”
Dwelling on the geopolitical consequences of the coronavirus pandemic she thought that the global power of China and its influence in Europe will be much greater during coming months and years, and according to her even Russia is getting better image in Europe due to its assistance to the hardly affected countries including the WB region.
“But the future of Serbia and Albania is in Europe and we have to contribute to her consolidation. It is good to have as many partners and allies as possible but the priorities and long term interests should not be forgotten,” said Jelica Minic, PhD, President of the European Movement in Serbia, in the following interview:
Albanian Daily News: Dr. Minic as coronavirus is a global concern having hit the world badly with thousands of fatalities in many countries I thought to start our talk on the Covid-19 pandemic, and first of all which is its impact of people’s life and its implications in Serbia’s social life and economy?
EMS President Jelica Minic: Besides the health system shock and public health concerns, the Covid19 pandemic has deeply shaken political, social, justice, educational, economic and financial systems in Serbia and all over the World. In Serbia, we are experiencing now one of the sharpest responses to the epidemic according to the Chinese model.
The authorities were not prepared at all to the storm that was on the horizon making statements that this was an imaginary threat when people in China and in Italy were dying in thousands. This was the period when political parties, primarily the ruling one, were collecting signatures for the elections foreseen to be held on 26 April.
The attitude changed in a week time. The elections were postponed. But the messages to the wider public were confusing and the health institutions and citizens did not have any protection equipment what made the spread of infection worse than it had to be and hundreds of medical staff became sick of coronavirus, of which more than half of them seriously. But, our authorities are not the only ones to be blamed for lack of awareness on the extent of threat. We could start with China, then with the World Health Organization, continue with the Great Britain, US…
– A few weeks ago you were in Tirana in the Annual Forum of the Joint Centre for Albania-Serbia Relations held on 3-4 March 2020 which I had the pleasure to attend and write on its deliberations. At the current coronavirus times it comes back to my mind the attention paid to diversifying cooperation among countries in the Western Balkans during the forum. After the initial shock on all do you see any sign of regional cooperation in the battle against this unknown enemy knowing no borders?
– Unfortunately, the first reactions all over the world were very selfish. The people in our region were deeply disappointed with the lack of solidarity in the EU, among its Member States and towards its close neighborhood.
Regarding our region, the CEFTA member countries are drawing up a list of trade measures to be introduced and establish a list of essential products relevant to the population and make a list of border crossings open to freight. The easier traffic of agreed inventory of goods at certain border crossings between CEFTA countries, through the so-called green corridor, is to be allowed during coronavirus crisis. The CEFTA Secretariat is responsible for facilitating electronic notification of the arrival of trucks carrying basic goods.
Bilateral assistance in the region is not visible. The exception is that after collecting Chinese and Russian assistance in medical goods Serbia delivered some assistance to the neighborhood on the ethnic basis – to Republika Srpska in BiH and to Serbs in Kosovo. Symbolic assistance offered to Montenegro was not accepted. In general, the assistance during coronavirus crisis besides humanitarian became an increasingly political tool.
– All Balkan countries are now either members or aspirants to join the European Union as Albania and North Macedonia were given the green light by the commission on 18th of March this year. Given the potential of the Union how do you assess its support to the regional countries in the current testing times?
– The situation has changed to a certain extent. The EU approved support package of 410 million euros in bilateral financial assistance to the Western Balkans. This entails 38 million euros in immediate funding for medical and protection supplies and 374 million euros in further assistance to people to help them recover socially and economically once the quarantine stops. But the fierce market competition among buyers of medical equipment and protection goods continues.
We truly need the EU. But initial disappointment with its coronacrisis management is deep. However, the main EU problem is not going to be with the Western Balkans but with its Member States primarily.
– Now please let me come to the bilateral relations between Albania and Serbia. Dr. Minic which is your general perception of them, and in this frame which are some key factors bringing them closer and some of those being an obstacle to the cooperative spirit between Tirana and Belgrade?
– Serbia and Albania do not have any open issues except the different attitudes to the Kosovo status. They “agree to disagree” on that issue. At the same time, the two states are very active in supporting and developing regional cooperation in the western Balkans. Just to mention establishment on the Regional Youth Cooperation Office as their joint initiative, or WB6 Chamber Investment Forum, Regional Economic Area, “Mini Schengen” etc.
The two countries aspire to join the EU and have to cooperate in the process of accession. They are both in dozens of regional initiatives in which they mostly share the same interests. They have to cooperate in giving responses to the Europe wide and global challenges like migration crisis, economic crisis, natural disasters, pandemics…
– Dr. Minic, how much and in what way the individual international and regional positions of Albania and Serbia influence on the bilateral ties between the two countries?
-Albania is clearly and indisputably on the European path and highly devoted to its Euro-Atlantic partnership. Besides the declarative aspirations to join the EU Serbia is playing with the Russian and Chinese cards as well. These differences are visible in the public opinion of the two countries – high support to the EU integration in Albania and decreasing one in Serbia.
But, there are long-term constellations that keep us together. Although Albania gravitates to the Mediterranean space and Serbia to the Central European we are both sharing the European destiny. We need the EU with all its problems and hopefully we will be there in the foreseeable future if it survives. It is even our duty to help its consolidation for our own sake.
– According to your estimations which aspects of the bilateral relations between the two countries have been more productive and efficient and how much can they serve to promote an overall longlasting cooperation?
– The economic cooperation, tourism, culture, civil society activities, personal connections have proved to be the main avenues of learning about each other and developing a good basis for overall cooperation. But many prejudices and misperceptions are still there and are very dependent on the day to day politics which directly influences media presentations of each other which are then closing the circle.
Just to mention our trade is growing, we have the Office of the Albanian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Tirana, formalized cooperation in tourism, between our national theatres and youth, 66 bilateral agreements, numerous intermarriages, growing number of book translations.
– Let me turn to people-to-people exchanges and the perceptions of Albanians and Serbs on each other. What do your researches on this aspect show?
– Serbs and Albanians do not know much and are not very interested for each others. About 40% of citizens in both countries have positive or partly positive attitude to the other side. About 50-60% perceives each other as aggressive, but also as loyal and hard working. With all answers combined mutual perceptions are not so bad, and both of them do not perceive each other as the “top enemy” in the region.
Majority of citizens believe that we need more information and that it is good and important for them to see the two countries cooperating and improving their relations.
– Dr. Minic how much can bilateral relations of Albania and Serbia influence on a final settlement of the dispute between Serbia and Kosovo an endeavor in which EU and US are involved?
-If you allow me to make a parallel observation – Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot consolidate before Serbia and Croatia stop throwing it apart. Kosovo will much easier solve its main problem if Serbia and Albania find a common standing and stay firmly behind it. Although Serbia and Kosovo are the main confronted parties, and there are many intermediators (EU, US, Russia), neighbors are equally important in providing favorable or unfavorable climate for the solution of bilateral problems.
-To conclude Dr. Minic in your latest study unveiled in Tirana you have implied that a much wider Serbian-Albanian alliance could transform the Balkans and contribute to consolidating the EU. How much is such an alternative possible and what’s more important is this on the political agenda of the two countries?
– Maybe your question is even more relevant if we try to imagine the geopolitical consequences of the pandemic. The global power of China and its influence in Europe will be much greater during coming months and years. Even Russia is getting better image in Europe due to its assistance to the hardly affected countries including our region.
But future of Serbia and Albania is in Europe and we have to contribute to her consolidation. It is good to have as many partners and allies as possible but the priorities and long term interests should not be forgotten.
