REALPOLITIK FLASH NO. 61
2 – 27 DECEMBER 2023
On the 5 major diplomatic events briefly with only 1.000 words by the well-known analyst,
Dr. JORGJI KOTE
1.Pull but don’t cut it! This was the main message of the EU – China Summit on 10 December in Peking. Nice words, courtesy meetings among their top leaders promises, statements and some remarks just to “pass the river”. Well, such a relaxed climate is natural. The EU is on the eve of its new elections next June, with the far right on the offensive. It won recently in Slovakia, in the Netherlands and it is becoming ready in other large states. The war in Ukraine is adding to the tensions there in political, economic and military terms. Thus, it is not interested for the time being to escalate the conflict with China, it needs a little relaxation and reflection, without opening new battlefields.
Likewise, China is encountering its own political, economic and military challenges. Hence, it is also interested for a provisional détente with the EU and the USA, which was also shown these days in the meeting between Xi jinping and President Biden. This is why the EU – China Summit this time was calm.
2. Peace after the storm occurred during the visit by Turkish President Erdogan in Athens on 9 December. With positive, approaching and reconciling messages from both sides. After explosive tensions and frictions some time ago, when Erdogan and Mitsotakis could not even shake hands. Whereas a day before his departure to Athens where he was received with pump and glamour, Erdogan addressed to Mitsotakis “ my friend, we can resolve any problem between us with political will”. This change in their political behaviour was natural, since both countries have surpassed their delicate electoral period, both won easily another term and they are not threatened by their divided opposition. Thus, both countries need some peace after the storm, have a moment’s respite and be focused in other areas with tensions within and out of NATO and the EU.
3. Halfway business! This may be said about the latest decision by the EU Council related to support for Ukraine on 14 Decmber. With lots of difficulties, only after the Hungarian PM Orban left the room, they agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and give the candidate srtatus to Georgia. Undoubtedly a good achievement of this Summit, especially in the current state with no good news for Ukraine from the battlefield and its Western allies. Thus, this is a major encouraging message for Ukraine. Unfortunately, they failed to adopt the package of aids of 50 Billion which is so necessary for Ukraine. Likewise, no progress was made in the Summit with Western Balkan countries except, as we say in Albania, “kind words but stones in the basket”; this is mainly due to the situation in our countries, the tension between Serbia – Kosovo, the blocking of the accession process from Sofia against Skopje and Tirana from Athens. Therefore, despite many expectations, this Summit was even less than a semi-finished business. And this is expcted to last long, since in the next june will be European elections, in Noember the US presidential elections, then the election of their highest leading structures and so on.
4.Belerian is similar to the hamletian dilemma. But the second one is political and is emerging between Greece and Albania. To give or not to give permission to Beleri to swear? – this is the question! If such a permission won’t be given, Athens will say “ climb on my elbow and see Istambul but not Brussels” and the whole work hitherto will be in vain. To give such a permission would mean to breach the law and our jusrtice. But then, why do we have diplomacy, we are also members of the UN Security Council. Diplomacy is there to be creative. In other words, it can make a legal adjustment that would permit such a swear; this is a mater of months if not weeks. We do not want sovreignism but europeanismn. Rama says that we are a european state; but about Greece? Therefore, we should put quickly an end to such an artificial dilemma with the necessary concessions and compromises. Don’t forget, it is us that need to open negotiations not Greece!
5.Technique is ok, politics awkward! On 14 December, after his return from the EU – Western Balkans Summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Rama held a Press Conference, trying to turn the negative into positive news. He higly praised over 1000 officials involved in negotiations during the screening process. Now, to be frank, there are not so many negotiators; to be accurate, we are talking on a large number of officials involved from different ministries, agencies, the Assembly and others. But one cannot call them negotiators, for this will overshadow the true negotiators who are not more than 50. Moreover, he promised to hold a festive ceremony and remunerate them qwith a n additional salary. However, as we have mentioned before, our problem and hindrance in this respect is not the negotiation and the technical aspect, as Rama tends to say.
I know this dossier well, since I was engaged with it for 10 years as diplomat in our Mission to the EU in Brussels and in Berlin; hence, I know that our negotiators, from the beginning in the year 2000 and on have been to the height of their task. This was also thanks to their training abroad with the EU supoprt. Eventhough later on many of them were fired due to political rotation. But our biggest problem and evil has been and remains our politicians and leaders with their erroneous policies at home and abroad. It is because of them that we have had continuous problems until we reached to the case “ Beleri”. But not only that, similar problems, delays and obstacles are also in the fight against crime, corruption, affairs and scandals, lack of dialogue with opposition and others. All these and other concerns are also mentioned in the Conclusions of the EU Council of 14 December. So, caution, negotiators come and go, it is much easier for them to do their job; likewise, the difficulties are not with translation but with the implementation of laws and terms in which we agree; for it is not tecnics, but politics that decides. But ofen it is turned into an anti-integration despite its sounding names.
© 2023 Argumentum
