“Albania’s EU accession process is important not only for Albania and the Western Balkans but also for all of Albania’s neighbors, including Greece,” has said Dr. Yorgos Christidis, Associate Professor at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki.

In an exclusive interview with Albanian Daily News, the Greek Professor said the beginning of the EU-Albania accession negotiation process in July 2022 underlined the important progress that Albania has been making in meeting, among others, important EU standards, in particular that on judicial reform. “Still however Tirana should strengthen media freedoms, as it was emphasized by last year’s Commission annual progress report and a recent draft resolution tabled in the European parliament.”

In the meantime, according to Dr. Christidis, it is not at all clear at what stage the two sides are concerning the signing of the arbitration agreement, based upon which Athens and Tirana will refer the issue of the maritime border delimitation to the International Court in The Hague – it is indicative that no meeting at an expert level has taken place until today between the two sides.

In a comment on the 18 March meeting between Kosovo PM Albin Kurti and Serb President Aleksandar Vucic held in Ohrid, North Macedonia, the Professor was of the opinion that despite internal opposition and criticism, Belgrade and Pristina have taken “another step forward” in normalizing their relations, strengthening regional stability.

Touching upon the EU sanctions on Russia because of its aggression against Ukraine, he said sanctions are not a foreign policy issue of “secondary importance” for the EU, and that is why it has become increasingly difficult for Belgrade to maintain, since February 2022, its “balancing act” between Brussels and Moscow. “The pressures on Belgrade to impose sanctions on Moscow will only intensify, especially in the case of any negative developments in the Belgrade-Pristina normalization process blamed on the Serbian side.”

Asked on what kind of world order is expected after Russia's war against Ukraine, the professor believed that the world is entering a new phase in international relations. Below the full interview:

Albanian Daily News: Professor, the EU-Albania Stabilization and Association Council have recently met in Albania for the first time. According to the EU senior officials this ‘first time’ meant the underlining of the Union’s ‘unequivocal commitment to the EU integration of the Western Balkans and to the accession negotiation process of Albania.’ Can this be seen as a new sign to Albania and the region regarding the quickening of the accession process or is it part of the ‘refined’ diplomacy?

Dr. Yorgos Christidis of University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki:Yes, you are quite right it has a symbolic importance, as it was the 12th meeting of the Council but the first one that took place in Albania. Albania’s EU accession process is important not only for Albania and the Western Balkans but also for all of Albania’s neighbors, including Greece. The beginning, in July 2022, of the EU-Albania accession negotiation process underlined the important progress that Albania has been making in meeting, among others, important EU standards, in particular that on judicial reform. Still however Tirana should strengthen media freedoms, as it was emphasized by last year’s Commission annual progress report and a recent draft resolution tabled in the European parliament. The Albanian government should adequately address issues concerning pressure on media workers, funding, and transparency.  

- Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama paid a visit to Greece (March 20 -21, 2023) and as it is reported he met among others with the highest leaders of the country. Are there possibilities that the two sides could overcome the pending questions, particularly the maritime border issue and the war law?  It should be noted that both countries are in the political mood of elections: presidential elections in Greece and local power elections in Albania.

- We should remember that back in March 2018 the two Foreign Ministers, Nikos Kotzias and Ditmir Bushati, were close on agreeing on a series of issues, including on the delimitation of the bilateral maritime border and the so-called “state of war” issue. Five years on and we still haven’t reached any agreement. It’s not at all clear at what stage the two sides are concerning the signing of the arbitration agreement, based upon which Athens and Tirana will refer the issue of the maritime border delimitation to the International Court in The Hague – it is indicative that no meeting at an expert level has taken place until today between the two sides.

We can all understand that the prolongation of such “open issues” doesn’t help Greek-Albanian relations. Even more worrying is the fact that the absence of an agreement, for example on the maritime border, could eventually hurt Albania’s EU accession process, given the importance that the EU attaches to the principle of good-neighborly relations. 

- 2023 is in its third month. Professor, given your expertise on the Western Balkans, what are your expectations for a breakthrough to the pending tense situation and conflicts in the region like in Bosnia and particularly between Kosovo and Serbia? Serb President Vucic and Kosovo PM Kurti met in Ohrid, North Macedonia, on March 18 as a continuation of the EU mediated talks on the Franco-German proposal…

- Pristina and Belgrade have taken another, difficult step, in a process of EU-mediated dialogue that began back in 2011. Given the stakes involved and, unfortunately, the mutual lack of trust between the two sides, the Agreement on 27th February (on the path to normalization of relations) and the Implementation Annex should be seen as a significant success for the combined efforts of European and American diplomacy. Despite internal opposition and criticism, Belgrade and Pristina have taken “another step forward” in normalizing their relations, strengthening regional stability.

Although important challenges lie ahead relating to the implementation of specific provisions of the Agreement, the Implementation Annex makes it absolutely clear that “Kosovo and Serbia recognise that any failure to honour their obligations from the Agreement, this Annex or the past Dialogue Agreements may have direct negative consequences for their respective EU accession processes and the financial aid they receive from the EU”.

- The EU takes every opportunity to underline the importance of further deepening the cooperation of the Union with the WB countries, particularly regarding the stance towards the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Now the war is in its second year. Can it be said that all WB countries are in unison with Brussels over its policy towards Russia? Secondly, could the prolongation of the war worsen the impact on the economy of WB countries because of the sanctions, bringing about a more softening stance towards Russia?

- The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been a pivotal moment for the EU, with geopolitics taking a center-stage in the decision-making process in Brussels (and in many European capitals). The brutal aggression in Ukraine and the threat posed by the Russian regime to European security has reminded all of the WB’s geopolitical importance and the necessity to reenergize EU’s policies, in particular the stalled accession process.

Last summer Albania and North Macedonia officially initiated their EU accession process, while in December Bosnia-Herzegovina was recognized as a candidate state. There is urgency for the WB states to work closer with the EU, including on foreign policy, where for any aspiring member state there is a clear understanding that it must align its foreign policy with that of the Union. Sanctions on Russia are not a foreign policy issue of “secondary importance” for the EU, on the contrary. And in that sense, it has become increasingly difficult for Belgrade to maintain, since February 2022, its “balancing act” between Brussels and Moscow. The pressures on Belgrade to impose sanctions on Moscow will only intensify, especially in the case of any negative developments in the Belgrade-Pristina normalization process blamed on the Serbian side.   

- As a follow up, do all the political forces in Greece support the policy of the Union towards Russia regarding sanctions and military supply to Ukraine, and could this be an issue in the upcoming presidential elections in Greece? And secondly, could this important event bring a change to Greece’s political landscape domestically and internationally? 

- Although in the initial aftermath of the invasion there were voices also in Greece trying to justify Russia’s brutal acts, the argument was quickly and decisively won by all those condemning Moscow and standing on the side of international legality and the rule of law. There is no doubt whatsoever that any vindication of Russia’s revisionism and territorial expansionism can only encourage others in the region who entertain similar ideas! And here in Greece we cannot afford to see that!  

-To conclude, Professor, after Russia's war against Ukraine what kind of world order is expected not only because of its repercussions but also due to the growing US-China rivalry while the EU tries to keep a balanced stance towards the second largest economy in the world?  

- We have been entering a new phase in international relations. Apart from Russian revisionism that is seen as a major problem and threat for the European security order, relations between the West and China are deteriorating. Washington views China’s growing global power as the most important threat for American interests, while relations between the EU and China are also changing in a negative direction, with China increasingly being viewed more as a competitor than a partner. Clearly any further deterioration in the relations between China and the West will also negatively affect China’s relations with southeastern European states, limiting, by definition, any autonomy the states in the region have in developing their relations with China.