“Bulgaria's archives are overflowing with documents about Albanian history that have not yet been researched at the proper level, but new technologies make their study possible,” has told Albanian Daily News in an exclusive interview the Bulgarian researcher on Albanology and Western Balkans, Anton Panchev. 

Researcher Panchev is a Bulgarian expert on the Albanian political space. He was a professor at the University of Sofia. He published at the site Obshtestvo.net, which has a number of articles on the political and social issues in the countries of the Albanian space and relations between Bulgarians and Albanians.   

“I have been somewhat detached from Albanology in recent years because I live and work in China, where I teach at a university in Beijing. Anyway, I continue research on Albanian history and especially on Bulgarian-Albanian relations in the 20th century,” he said. 

Asked about the visa liberalization for Kosovo citizens starting from January 1 this year, Panchev said that there is no doubt that the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo have deserved the visa liberalization, but the internal political games in some countries of the European Union have slowed down the process. “But also the policy of the institutions of the European Union in recent years regarding the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo causes concerns, because the EU officials try to equalize the responsibilities of both sides for the failures in the negotiations for the normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade,” he said, adding that Serbia is to blame for the stalling of the normalization process between the two countries, because the ruling class in Belgrade continues to support hegemonic projects from the bitter past. According to him, at the core of Serbia's ideology and politics lies the desire for Belgrade to regain control over territories that were part of Greater Serbia in some periods of the last century.

Panchev dwelt at length on the relations between Bulgaria and Albania and, according to him, they have always been very good. But he considered as very important the development of strategic relations between the two countries, including the construction of road and energy infrastructure, the development of interstate dialogue and joint initiatives on important regional topics related to the security of the Balkans. “In this direction, there is a lot of work to be done and here the official Sofia has the main fault, because as a member of the European Union and with a favorable geographical position between Europe and Asia, Bulgaria has had and has at hand many geopolitical and geo-economic instruments to develop comprehensive contacts between our countries.”   

“As for the future, I hope that Albania and Bulgaria will build their foreign policy according to their national interests and not on the basis of ideological approaches imposed by foreign centers,” said the Bulgarian researcher, Anton Panchev in the following interview:

Albanian Daily News: In the first place may I wish you a more successful year in your valuable work, which keeps you so much linked with Albania and the entire Western Balkans. There have been about two years since we had an interesting interview (May 20, 2022). So please could you share with us some of your activities in this span of time and the target for the future work?

Bulgarian researcher Anton Panchev: Thank you very much! I wish you, your colleagues and the entire Albanian people health and many successes during the new year! In fact, I have been somewhat detached from Albanology in recent years because I live and work in China, where I teach at a university in Beijing. Anyway, I continue research on Albanian history and especially on Bulgarian-Albanian relations in the 20th century. Bulgaria's archives are overflowing with documents about Albanian history that have not yet been researched at the proper level, but new technologies make their study possible. Last year, for example, at the initiative of an Albanian researcher from North Macedonia, we published a book entitled "Bulgarians and Serbs in the articles of the newspaper "Shkupi" (1911-1912)". This year we are also preparing a new book about the cooperation between our countries.

- Starting from January 1, 2024 Kosovo people can move freely in all Schengen area countries. Some analysts have considered it as ‘the restoration of missing justice’ by the European community. As a seasoned expert on Kosovo affairs and the Western Balkans in general for decades now how do you assess this overdue act by EU bodies and secondly, will it make Serbia more self-conscious that it’s a boomerang on it to humiliate itself in the effort to undermine the further international recognition of the Republic of Kosovo?

- There is no doubt that the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo have deserved the visa liberalization, but the internal political games in some countries of the European Union have slowed down the process. But also the policy of the institutions of the European Union in recent years regarding the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo causes concerns, because the EU officials try to equalize the responsibilities of both sides for the failures in the negotiations for the normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade. Serbia is to blame for the stalling of the normalization process between the two countries, because the ruling class in Belgrade continues to support hegemonic projects from the bitter past. At the core of Serbia's ideology and politics lies the desire for Belgrade to regain control over territories that were part of Greater Serbia in some periods of the last century. For these reasons, Serbia continues with its subversive policy towards Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and does not hesitate to use terrorist attacks in order to destabilize the region. Analyzing the Serbian policy so far, it can be predicted that Serbia will continue with this aggressive approach, waiting for essential changes in the world order to achieve its goals for dominance in the western part of the Balkans.

- Besides the economic benefit of the growth of tourism in Albania in 2023 like in no years before, there was a rising interest of foreigners in its historical past expressed in a great attraction for its archeological sites in different parts of the country. Being aware of the ancient Albanian heritage, how do you assess this new discovery in this Balkan country?

- Albania has extraordinary natural, archaeological and cultural resources. These resources create good opportunities for the development of tourism, but they must be an important part of the national strategy for the presentation of Albanian civilization to the world. This civilization has very ancient roots and has made a great contribution to the European continent. This fact should not be forgotten in the process of European integration, because that process is not only the fulfillment of political, legal and economic criteria, but also the affirmation of the cultures of all European people.

-According to you, could overall relations between Albania and Bulgaria be more vivid and extensive? What prevents such a beneficial aspect for the two friendly people?

-It is an undeniable fact that relations between Albania and Bulgaria have always been very good (with the exception of the 60s-80s due to Enver Hoxha's policy of isolating Albania). On the other hand, these relations did not transform into a strategic partnership for various reasons. Until the Second World War, sincere efforts to bring our countries closer were being blocked by other Balkan states, which feared our cooperation in the defense of our oppressed communities in Yugoslavia and Greece. After the War, our relations were dependent on the ideological and geopolitical developments in the Eastern Bloc. At the time of the transition, we had numerous economic problems and were focused on our Euro-Atlantic path. Our relations received a new impulse with the legal and official recognition of the Bulgarian minority by the Republic of Albania (de facto this community was recognized by the Albanian institutions in the 20s of the XX century). As a result, the amount of news about Albania in the Bulgarian media increased significantly and many Bulgarians discovered and will discover the beauty of the Albanian coast.

Another issue is the development of strategic relations between our countries, including the construction of road and energy infrastructure, the development of interstate dialogue and joint initiatives on important regional topics related to the security of the Balkans. In this direction, there is a lot of work to be done and here the official Sofia has the main fault, because as a member of the European Union and with a favorable geographical position between Europe and Asia, Bulgaria has had and has at hand many geopolitical and geo-economic instruments to develop comprehensive contacts between our countries. These resources create good opportunities for the development of tourism, but they must be an important part of the national strategy for the presentation of Albanian civilization to the world. This fact should not be forgotten in the process of European integration, because that process is not only the fulfillment of political, legal and economic criteria, but also the affirmation of the cultures of all European people.

- ‘Albania in the past, in the present and the future!’ Mr. Panchev please, which is your assessment evaluating these three stages through the eyes of an expert on Albanian affairs?

- When the independent Albanian state was founded in 1912, few politicians and scholars of the time believed that Albania would survive and remain as a sovereign state. Since the Declaration of Independence and in the following decades, there have been many negative factors that endangered the independence and unity of Albania. In the first place were the ‘appetites’ of Albania's neighbors which had claimed territories or even the complete occupation of the country; as well as the isolation of Albania for decades from other European countries and from the world during the period of monism. Then there were many premises for internal instability - lack of administrative experience, economic and social problems, multi-religious composition of society, etc. It seems to me that no other European country faced so many continuous challenges during the 20th century. With its patriotism, the Albanian people have proven not only that they deserve their own state, but the fact that Albania has shown great state-building progress in extremely difficult circumstances should also be highly appreciated. This situation must be taken into account when evaluating the achievements and problems of today's Albania. Albania suffers from problems that are common to all the countries of our region like what is happening in Bulgaria and Romania, for example - the shrinking of the population, economic and social problems, etc., but it is on the right path, because there is great economic development and the negative trend of migration will be stopped in the next years. As for the future, I hope that Albania and Bulgaria will build their foreign policy according to their national interests and not on the basis of ideological approaches imposed by foreign centers.

- Developments in Albania for bad or good have always been linked with its neighbors, the entire region. Seeing things from this angle, how do you predict the progress of the WB in the frame of its EU accession process, and according to you, will time come when genuine peace, security and cooperation prevail for all the people, leaving behind the shadows of the label ‘Balkan a powder keg of Europe’?  

-I am pessimistic about the integration process in the European Union for two main reasons. First, in many EU member states there is fatigue and even anger among large sections of the respective societies regarding the ideological, political and economic processes in the EU. Many citizens are disappointed because of the imposition of neoliberal ideologies from Brussels, because of the influx of migrants from other continents, of the deterioration of their social situation, etc. This approach will also be reflected in the elections for the European Parliament that will take place in five months. The European Union needs an internal reform that will slow down the enlargement process. Secondly, there are two countries in the Balkans that are sabotaging the European integration process. Greece is in the first place, which uses its favorable position and hinders Albania on the way to the EU with artificial conditions and without any relation to the principles of the EU. Greece misuses its power to interfere in the internal affairs of Albania for some very important issues for the sovereignty of a state. On the other hand, Serbia hinders the European integration process of the Republic of North Macedonia by not allowing, through its subordinates in Skopje, the change of the State Constitution according to the commitments arising from the Negotiating Framework.