Cooperation with neighbors is necessary, but it cannot be built by ignoring Kosovo’s subjectivity, international law, and the rights of Albanians in the region.

Introduction: Diplomacy without principles loses trust

In politics, every decision carries a message. Every diplomatic rapprochement creates expectations. Every political priority shows which values and interests a state places at the center.
The Western Balkans needs dialogue. It needs economic cooperation. It needs stable relations among neighbors. But true stability cannot be built by avoiding difficult issues and behaving as if unresolved problems do not exist.

A region cannot build trust on the basis of forgetting.

It is built upon the acceptance of political realities, respect for international law, and the equal treatment of the interests of all parties.

Within this reality, Kosovo cannot be treated as a secondary issue.

Kosovo is a sovereign state, with its own institutions, international responsibilities, and an important role in the security and stability architecture of the region.

Therefore, every serious regional policy must begin from this fact.

1. Kosovo – a state and international legal reality

Kosovo’s independence is the result of a long historical, political, and diplomatic process. On February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared independence and subsequently built its state institutions, developed international relations, and gained recognition from a considerable number of states.
An important moment in this process was the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in 2010.

The Court found that Kosovo’s declaration of independence had not violated general international law. This opinion was not an automatic act of recognition of Kosovo as a state, but it was an important legal element in the international debate.

This distinction is important because international relations are built through the interaction of law, diplomacy, and the political will of states.

Nevertheless, one thing remains clear: Kosovo today is a political and institutional reality that cannot be ignored in any serious project for the future of the region.

2. Albania, Kosovo, and Serbia – between interests, history, and the future

Relations between Albania, Kosovo, and Serbia represent one of the most complex political knots of the Balkans.
Here, regional security, European integration, the economy, questions of identity, the recognition of Kosovo, and the rights of communities are intertwined.

Albania has a strategic interest in maintaining functional relations with all its neighbors. A modern foreign policy requires dialogue and communication.

But there is also another responsibility: ensuring that this dialogue does not create the perception that economic or diplomatic interests are being placed above fundamental political issues.

This is precisely where the debate begins.

Can a sustainable regional space be built if issues related to Kosovo remain unresolved?

Can full trust in the region be achieved without a clearer approach toward recognition, respect for sovereignty, and the rights of communities?

These are not questions against dialogue. They are questions about the quality and direction of dialogue.

3. Rama–Vučić and the debate over the orientation of regional policy

The political rapprochement between the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has been one of the most discussed topics in the Albanian public sphere.
Supporters of this approach see it as a pragmatic effort to open channels of communication, encourage economic cooperation, and reduce historical tensions.

According to this logic, the region cannot move toward Europe without more normal relations among neighbors.

However, critics have raised another concern: that the policy of rapprochement with Belgrade should be accompanied by an equally strong commitment to Kosovo’s strategic interests.

The debate is not whether Albania should speak with Serbia. Every serious state must communicate with its neighbors. The debate is whether this communication is being accompanied by a sufficient political balance.

Successful diplomacy is not measured only by the number of meetings, but also by the ability to protect fundamental interests.

4. Open Balkan and the Berlin Process – economy, integration, and political trust

The “Open Balkan” initiative was presented as a project aimed at increasing economic cooperation in the region and facilitating the movement of people, goods, and services.
Its supporters argued that economic development can create greater stability and build bridges between countries.

However, this initiative was met with reservations in Kosovo. The main concern was that such an economic project was being developed at a time when political relations between Kosovo and Serbia remained unresolved.

On the other hand, the Berlin Process, supported by the European Union, represents a broader framework for cooperation among the six Western Balkan countries and is directly connected to the process of European integration.

The difference is not only technical. It is also political.

The question is which model creates greater trust: cooperation focused mainly on the economy, or a process in which economic development moves in parallel with reforms, European standards, and the resolution of political issues.

5. The Preševo Valley – a test of democratic standards and regional responsibility

A regional policy is not measured only by relations between governments and political leaders. It is also measured by the way people and communities living in areas where different historical and political interests intersect are treated.
The Preševo Valley remains one of the important issues in Albanian-Serbian relations. In Preševo, Bujanovac, and Medveđa, there is an Albanian community that for years has raised concerns regarding its position in various areas of public life.

Issues mentioned in public debates include institutional representation, economic development, the official use of the Albanian language, education, public investments, and equal opportunities for participation in state institutions.

These are not only issues concerning one particular community. They are part of a broader question: how strong are democratic standards in a society when a part of citizens feel underrepresented or neglected?

If Europe is built upon respect for human rights, then these standards must be applied equally to everyone.

Protecting the rights of Albanians in the Preševo Valley should not be viewed as opposition to regional stability. On the contrary, the fair treatment of these issues is one of the conditions for more sustainable stability.

6. Consular diplomacy and the issue of representation in Bujanovac

Statehood is not expressed only through the flag and institutions within a territory. It is also expressed through the ability to develop diplomatic relations and protect the interests of citizens.
Diplomatic and consular relations are regulated by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963.

According to these principles, the establishment of diplomatic or consular missions functions on the basis of agreements and consent between states.

Therefore, the issue of opening a Kosovo consulate in Bujanovac is not only a matter of political will. It is a process that would require diplomacy, negotiation, and an agreement between the parties.

But beyond the legal aspect, there is a broader political dimension.

A consular institutional presence would be connected to a state’s ability to create channels of communication, provide services, and be present near communities with which it has special historical and social ties.

Here lies the political question as well: are all diplomatic possibilities being used to support the legitimate interests of Kosovo and Albanians in the region?

7. Conclusion – Cooperation, yes, but on the basis of dignity and equality

The Western Balkans needs a new chapter. A chapter where cooperation replaces conflict and where European integration becomes a common objective.
But this chapter cannot be written by ignoring existing realities.

Kosovo is a sovereign state, and every regional policy that aims to be sustainable must accept this as its starting point.

Albania has the right and the interest to develop relations with its neighbors. Dialogue with Serbia is necessary. Economic cooperation is beneficial. Regional integration is a shared interest.

But none of these should be built on the idea that important political issues can be postponed indefinitely or treated as minor obstacles.

A responsible policy requires balance.

It requires that relations with neighbors develop without forgetting strategic interests.

It requires that dialogue be accompanied by principles.

It requires that the economy move together with justice and democratic standards.

Kosovo should not be an issue remembered only in symbolic declarations. It should be part of every serious vision for the future of the region.

And Albanians in the Preševo Valley should not be viewed only as an issue of political moments, but as citizens who deserve equal treatment and respect for their identity.

A strong region is not built by asking someone to forget their own reality.

It is built when every reality is acknowledged, when every citizen is respected, and when cooperation does not require giving up dignity.

Because without trust, there is no stability.

Without justice, there is no trust.

And without respect for political and human realities, there is no sustainable European future for the Balkans.

Kosovo is a sovereign state.
And every regional policy that aims for peace, development, and Europe must begin from this reality.

The Land of Leka,31.07.2026