"The first visit to our calendar is the one of Czech Foreign Minister Lipavsky to Albania on 6 March. He will not only consult with Minister Hasani but they will open a bilateral defense and security industry cooperation forum," unveiled Czech Ambassador Pavel Vacek in an exclusive interview with Albanian Daily News.

Asked if Albania could join the EU in 2030 as projected the Ambassador said: "I, for one, would dearly wish to see Albania’s entry in the EU happen in my professional lifetime... Czechia has been traditionally and sincerely supportive of the region's and Albania's progress in accession and entry in to the EU."

Touching upon Visegrad format member of which is Czekia he said: "Historically, attempts at pursuing too ambitious ideas going beyond the informal, non-institutionalised nature of the grouping have failed and the erosion of V4 like-mindedness, even on some fundamentals, has weakened the V4 format since long."

"De-escalation, delivering on steps agreed, and progress towards normalcy and standard relations must be part of the solution, including for Kosovo and Serbia, and I’m noting this specifically because Czechia is at excellent and friendly terms with both and supports the EU integration for the whole region, " said Ambassador Vacek.

Asked about the new President in the US, Trump's stance on some delicate issues with the allies like tariffs, contributions in NATO, threats to intervene in Greenland, Panama Canal, Gaza etc. etc. he said: "It’s not in my mandate to comment on the US president but none of us can escape from noting and wondering about what all of what you’ve mentioned means for us, individuals, nations and collectively. The world is an even more complicated and difficult place with all what we see coming from Washington after 20 January last, on top of all the global or regional threats and challenges which have been out there already. We cannot but try looking for rational elements and shared interests in the new US narrative which evolves by the day. Communicating with them on what we can and should do jointly, beginning with common defence, is the order of the day."

The Ambassador dwelt about the war and the tragic 3 years of Putin's war against Ukraine and 11 years from the Russian capture of Crimea and said now about PEACE which nobody wants more than the Ukrainians themselves:  "Any peace, including the one being explored by the US with Russia, must be acceptable to the Ukrainians, supported by both the US and Europe and must not reward the aggressor at the expense of its victim, " said Ambassador Pavel Vacek in the following interview:

Albanian Daily News: Mr. Ambassador thank you for sharing with ADN's readers your opinions on some important issues and first of all what could you say about the progress of the relations between Albania and Czech Republic in 2024 and the perspective for 2025?

Ambassador Pavel Vacek: 2024 was a good year for Czech - Albanian bilateral relations. We had the Mixed Economic and Trade Commissions in Tirana in March with the two ministers of trade chairing it and giving a sharper focus to economic cooperation. In the end of November, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies (Lower) of the Czech parliament visited Albania, held talks with her counterpart, addressed the Parliament, was received by President Begaj and also met Albanian civil society as well as our friends and countrymen community to show her interest and support.

In 2025, our top-level political dialogue as well as people-to-people contacts will go on - the first visit to our calendar is the one of Czech Foreign Minister Lipavsky to Albania on 6 March. He will not only consult with Minister Hasani but they will open a bilateral defense and security industry cooperation forum. That’s the topical focus of our economic cooperation given also the external threats we all face collectively. The President of Albania is invited to visit Prague at the end of the year. The parliamentary elections in both Albania (May) and Czechia (October) will bring about a temporary lull but we hope the work and contacts will resume right after and the EU and Foreign Affairs committees should be the first in line.

When it comes to bilateral trade, we hoped for yet another record setting year... but the 2024 final figures made us sober out somewhat - Czech export shrank to EUR 85M instead of attacking the bar of EUR 100M, due to several factors known on both sides. But we remain optimistic for our trade in 2025 as there have been some good contracts in the making and also Albania has increasingly more to offer in her exports to Czechia. The one big challenge is the absence of Czech investment in Albania - overcoming this "regional anomaly" requires pro-active efforts from both sides.

It is good Albania is now among big tourist destinations for Czechs - at the level of 100,000 per year. The Albanian aspirations at developing high-end tourist industry are bound to attract more Czech tourists. Mass tourism, however, doesn’t bring about only benefits and profits but also costs and losses. All this foreign tourism boom in Albania increases the workload on our consular service and Albanian authorities and agencies involved - from police and judiciary to hospitals or rescuers and we need even more cooperation in that regard.  We are naturally interested in seeing more Albanian tourists in Czechia and having more people- to-people exchange. Student exchange with dozens Albanian participants in the Erasmus and national programs is a great and traditional part of our cooperation. 

- Czech Republic has supported Albania in its endeavour to join the EU. Your Excellency do you expect that Albania will join the EU in 2030 as projected? Given your expertise what could it do better to make possible that endeavour and how could your country help it?

- I, for one, would dearly wish to see Albania’s entry in the EU happen in my professional lifetime... Czechia has been traditionally and sincerely supportive of the region's and Albania's progress in accession and entry in to the EU.  Our terms are known - the accession benchmarks met with the progress followed and certified by the European Commission. Czechia doesn’t add any national conditionalities, don’t attach more strings to the already hard work of the acceding countries, including Albania. But we share the interest of all, EU member states and institutions, in seeing the Albania's homework done. The Albania’s plan of completing the negotiations by 2027 is ambitious but we are in favour of seeing it accomplished and are willing to help politically or in a practical way, especially if Albania looks for more assistance.

The most difficult part of the accession job is NOT about writing position papers or inputs for progress reports to tick off boxes…  it is rather about mustering the domestic will of the political representation, both the governing party and the opposition, for reaching reasonable workable compromises in making difficult, even painful choices and decisions… as this is also a part of the entry exam, the accession process…which must go on fast, ideally without EU public reminders issued every other week...

It is clear the rule of law in Albania has to be further strengthened and judicial reform solidified primarily for the sake of Albanian citizens not Brussels... Albania’s institutions enforcing the law must work – and be allowed to work - properly by all, without domestic pressures or external coaching of all sorts. The old truth is that a country is fit for the EU entry when it doesn’t need any further external supervision of the functioning of its institutions. But then again, even members can go astray on fundamentals... but that’s already the next chapter...

- Like Czech Republic all member countries of Visegrad Group have been on the same line. Having said this could you tell us about the current state of relations in the Group and is it functioning like before, especially on touchy issues like migration, relations in the EU, the US with its new president etc.?

- The Visegrád Four has been a good and natural framework for political consultation, focused regional cooperation and also for joining voices and forces vis-a-vis third partners, even distant actors. V4 has also been about having our own regional club of like-minded, a caucus of four good neighbours bound by common history. Historically, attempts at pursuing too ambitious ideas going beyond the informal, non-institutionalised nature of the grouping have failed and the erosion of V4 like-mindedness, even on some fundamentals, has weakened the V4 format since long. The V4 continue to do useful and practical things together in our host country as demonstrated clearly by the International Visegrad Fund projects and activities in Albania.

- As a follow up how do you assess the situation in the Western Balkans, especially the tense relations between Kosovo and Serbia?

- There is no better future for the whole region but the one of peace, reconciliation, cooperation and good neighbourhood within EU and NATO for those who wish so... Who can be against this? Who wants more instability or conflict, be it interethnic or interstate, or even war in this region?  Sure, malign external actors do; Russia being the most obvious and disruptive one. Their support, overt or covert, for ethnocentric, tribalistic and anti-European forces, weaponisation of religious issues are only part of the hybrid toolbox applied in the region. Fending off and protecting ourselves against such interference is part of the solution for peace, stability and cooperation in the region where all swear on their future in the EU. 

So, de-escalation, delivering on steps agreed, and progress towards normalcy and standard relations must be part of the solution, including for Kosovo and Serbia, and I’m noting this specifically because Czechia is at excellent and friendly terms with both and supports the EU integration for the whole region.

- Let me touch about the new President in the US. You are very aware of Trump's stance on some delicate issues with the allies like tariffs, contributions in NATO, interventions in Greenland, Panama Canal, Gaza etc. What could you say about these issues?

- It’s not in my mandate to comment on the US president but none of us can escape from noting and wondering about what all of what you’ve mentioned means for us, individuals, nations and collectively. The world is an even more complicated and difficult place with all what we see coming from Washington after 20 January last, on top of all the global or regional threats and challenges which have been out there already. We cannot but try looking for rational elements and shared interests in the new US narrative which evolves by the day. Communicating with them on what we can and should do jointly, beginning with common defence, is the order of the day. And yes, we will need a lot of strategic patience. Ultimately, the transatlantic bonds and shared values between Europe and the US must prevail and that, for me, is the hope beyond the next four years.

- The war in Ukraine goes on. The EU is carrying the heavy burden of military and financial support. Two questions: How much does it cost to the economies of EU members, are there separate stances among them regarding the rising aid? Secondly, does this massive support constitute a risk for the countries because Russia is threatening that the Ukraine war fought with European weapons has involved Europe in the war?

- Yes, about the war and the tragic 3 years of Putin' war against Ukraine and 11 years from the Russian capture of Crimea. Out of respect for innocent Ukrainian civilian victims of the Russian aggression, we have to remind ourselves of basic facts on the occasion. Russia, not Ukraine started the all-out aggression and invasion, in violation of the most fundamental norms of international law. Russia, not Ukraine started to bomb villages and cities and kill civilians on the neighbour's territory. Russia, not Ukraine, has attempted to deny its closest neighbour's right to external security choices but even to independent statehood and nationhood. Russia, not Ukraine has stolen the neighbour's territory and brazenly declared it its own. No amount of the false Kremlin's narrative can change that. 

That Russia has failed to defeat Ukraine in 3 years is only thanks to the Ukrainian heroic defence and our support, both from Europe and the US and others. Yes, the costs of Ukraine’s defence have gone into hundreds of billions, not by their own choosing and many would say about our support for Ukraine “too little, too late” and yet the support for Ukraine represents only a small, available fraction of our GDPs. The costs of allowing Russia to conquer Ukraine would be much higher as our own sovereignty and security are also at stake, face to face to the determined aggressor, aren’t they? And yes, the costs of rebuilding Ukraine may even exceed those of its defence. Now about PEACE which nobody wants more than the Ukrainians themselves:  Any peace, including the one being explored by the US with Russia, must be acceptable to the Ukrainians, supported by both the US and Europe and must not reward the aggressor at the expense of its victim. 

- Following what is happening throughout the world with so many conflicts in many fields do you think that it's high time for a new global order based on new foundations?

- I don’t think anybody has ever come with a better recipe for international order than the one based on the UN Charter of 1945 – the 80th anniversary of the United Nations will remind us, and that’s why the Czech Embassy also prepares to mark the UN jubilee later this year. And let me add a personal note. Yes, the international order we have had since the last World War has been imperfect and incomplete and overdue for repair, including in its representativeness for all. And it has been only as strong as strongly it has been, or not, respected and upheld by its members, primarily the permanent members of the Security Council. For those writing off the UN-based world order, the alternative is already on offer: an Orwellian world of autocratic hegemonistic powers driven by authoritarian ideologies, or statesmen of what we used to call the free world co-governing with ultra-rich oligarchs controlling the bulk of national wealth, a world with spheres of influence divided and imposed, with trade wars or grand transactional schemes to benefit a few and to be charged to many, with survival of nations to be paid in territory or raw materials... and with coercion and war always readily used against those unwilling to go along… The latter is not the world I would wish for my kids./ ADN