“The Balkan Peninsula is important to Russia. We do not hide this. Russia has long been present in the Balkans, not for the last 30-40 years, but for several centuries. Russia is interested in this region, which is not so far from our borders, for peace, stability, and economic prosperity in it,” has said Russian Ambassador to Albania Mikhail Afanasiev.
Ambassador Afanasiev made that comment in an interview with Euronews Albania TV on June 11, 2020 during which he dwelt at length on many issues among which those related to the complicated relations with Albania, the eventual perspective of the improvement of Russian-Albanian ties, the Russian point of view on Pristina-Belgrade dialogue. According to him, the Balkans is important for Russia both from the point of view of its security and that of economic cooperation with all the countries of the region in the spirit of mutual benefit.
“We are all neighbors, part of a region where the Black Sea lies, and incidentally Albania, too, is a member of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization,” said Moscow’s top envoy to Tirana.
Afanasiev said that it was not his country which was preventing the cooperation between the two countries. “I would sincerely say that Russia is interested in the development of the relations in all fields with Albania. It is thought in Moscow that all the necessary preconditions exist for such a thing,” confessed the Ambassador. In this frame he recalled as a positive example the Albanian-Russian cooperation during the time of the Soviet Union. “Russia is ready to propose cooperation in many fields.”
With regard to the issue raised by the moderator that Russian media describe Albania with a touch of Islamism, high criminality and link it with claims on ‘Greater Albania’, Ambassador Afanasiev had the following answer: “Personally, I have never heard negative assessments of Albania by the Russian public opinion or the pro-government circles of my country. Historically, Albania has been considered a friendly country. As for the characteristics of Albania as a criminal, Islamic or extremist state, they are found in the publications of some media, which do not reflect the official point of view.”
The Ambassador also commented on Prime Minister Edi Rama’s statements during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Albania’s stance on NATO, the United States and the European Union.
Rama visited Moscow on February 26 this year under Albania’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, where he held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Rama visited Moscow on an official visit as the OSCE chairman-in-office, and the focus of the talks was the crisis in Ukraine, but the parties also discussed bilateral relations at grassroots levels.
Moscow’s top diplomat in Tirana believed that choosing friends or partners is an indisputable right of every country. “If the Albanian side puts itself in such a narrow framework, we have nothing to interpret. However, I want to remind you that today’s world has long since lost its unipolarity,” he noted.
Another delicate topic addressed during the interview was Prime Minister Rama’s commitment to reviewing the agreement with Russia signed in 2004 with the then Socialist- led government. The Ambassador was specific on explaining how the matters stand with this issue, and regarding this he made the following comment: “I would like to bring some explanations regarding this information, which is not completely accurate. The agreement on friendship and co-operation, signed by our foreign ministers in 2004, was unfortunately not signed, and therefore did not enter into force. Therefore, we cannot talk yet about its implementation. If the Albanian side wants to regulate its content in accordance with current realities, then we are ready to meet its requirements in a reasonable manner. So far, we have not seen such intentions.”
In the meantime the diplomat turned again to the vote in Albanian parliament on the resolution condemning, among other things, Russia’s involvement in the country’s electoral process. “I am deeply shocked and still cannot find an explanation as to what facts these allegations were based. It is true that there has been a lawsuit against an opposition leader, allegedly because of his connections with Russian citizens and the financing of their election campaign by them in Albania. Albanian justice has acquitted him. It is not necessary to return to this issue, especially since there are currently no Russian financial or political interests in Albania,” he said.
In a comment on Russian influence in the Albanian media, Afanasiev denied that his country had influence in the local media, and even described it as “anti-Russian”. According to his feeling, the Albanian media pursues a general anti-Russian orientation, catching with pleasure the anti-Russian fabrications published in the European press. “I have never seen pro-Russian articles.”
The Ambassador was also asked if Russia would ever recognize Kosovo, and his answer was that his country’s position on the Kosovo issue is well known, and in a way he was stunned at being asked such a question.
“No matter what anyone says, UN Security Council Resolution 1244 remains the current element of international law that should guide UN member states in this matter. Against this backdrop, it is strange to hear calls for Russia to recognize Kosovo’s “independence.” Perhaps this call should be addressed to some EU countries, membership of which is Albania’s top priority? That would be more logical.”
There are five EU member countries which continue not to recognize Kosovo’s independence and they are Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania, and Greece.
In addition the Ambassador clarified: “As for the possibility of recognizing the province’s independence from Russia, Moscow has repeatedly said: we will support any mutually acceptable compromise decision on Kosovo’s status, reached as a result of direct negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina.” Russian Ambassador declared solemnly: “If our Serbian friends agree with the recognition of Kosovo as an independent state, we will certainly consider this possibility.”
In a nutshell Afanasiev repeated Moscow’s stance saying that the issue is directly related to the stakeholders within the negotiation process. “Only a compromise solution will be sustainable, capable of guaranteeing stability and security in the region. We also believe that one of the preconditions for resolving the issue is the continued observation of the UN Security Council on Kosovo. The final solution to the Kosovo issue must be supported by the UN Security Council by adopting a new resolution to replace the current resolution 1244.”
Asked about the visit of the Russian FM Lavrov to Belgrade he revealed that he had just seen the news that Moscow’s top diplomat would be in Belgrade on June 18 this year. “The talks will focus on bilateral relations. I have no other information on the agenda. As for the purposes and timelines of this visit, it is not my job as a diplomat to evaluate them. Media representatives have freedom of action here.”
“What does Russia want in the Balkans?” was one of the questions during the interview, and Afanasiev’s answer, which was mentioned even above this article, is as follows: “The Balkan Peninsula is important for Russia. We do not hide this. Russia has long been present in the Balkans, not for the last 30-40 years, but for centuries. It would be wrong to say that we develop relations only with the Orthodox countries, as one of our biggest partners is mainly Turkey. Of course, we have close relations with Greece. The countries of the former Yugoslavia are also among our successful partners. Therefore, it cannot be said that Russia has a selective orientation towards certain countries in the region. With someone the relationship is better, with someone else not so much. Russia is interested in peace, stability, tranquility and economic prosperity in this region, which is not far from our borders. For us, this is important both from the point of view of our security and from the point of view of mutually beneficial economic cooperation with all the countries of the region. We are all neighbors, part of a region where the Black Sea lies. Incidentally, Albania is also a member of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization. We are partners in pan-European organizations, such as the OSCE. All countries in the region aim to join the EU, which is Russia’s largest economic partner. From this point of view, peace, stability and cooperation are our only interests in the Balkan region.” /argumentum.al
