A conversation of Albanian Daily News with Albanian Croatian MP Ermina Lekaj-Prljaskaj was an opportunity to learn on the main agenda of the Croatian Parliament in 2022 as well as the level of the cooperation of Albania with Croatia as both countries have a strategic partnership. She was happy about the very positive political links between the two countries but felt unhappy that the economic ties were at low level.  

The Deputy was worried over the situation in the Western Balkans and she said she could not say who is to blame Europe or the Balkans themselves. According to what she said, Serbia seems involved in almost all the regional conflicts having as target the creation of the Serbia World.     

But MP Ermina Lekaj-Prljaskaj wondered that the same countries that Croatia supports are negotiating with Serbia for the Open Balkans initiative. “I have an impression that there is a kind of reluctance and skepticism on the part of some regional states to approach the countries of the European Union. What surprises me is an uncertainty from the unknown. Apart from the citizens of Kosovo, all citizens of the Balkan countries have the right to travel to Europe and this should enable them to understand why they should be part of Europe,” she said.

Mrs. Prljaskaj had a proposal: “It would be preferable that our (Albanian and Kosovo) prime ministers meet with us, deputies who are abroad, and share our experiences together once a year… It is a great pity that we do not meet and exchange experiences and reach common attitudes on sensitive issues.” 

Asked about the political situation in Albania she quoted herself saying in an interview that any change must happen from above. According to her, just as fish is cleaned starting from the head, things must be cleaned in this way.   

“I said earlier that in Pristina we are very little concerned about the war in Kosovo and it seems to me that even in Albania the people are silent. Many young people have gone abroad to work and are known as hardworking workers, but unfortunately they have lost all sense of their country by seeing the situation in political parties. Silence at this moment is the greatest loss for our people,” said Albanian Croatian MP Ermina Lekaj-Prljaskaj in the following interview:

Albanian Daily News: Since we are a few days from the beginning of 2022 and you are honoring us with your participation in this first ADN interview, and for that we thank you, it would be interesting to learn from a veteran MP which are the main lines of the Croatian Parliament as the representative of the people internally and externally?

Albanian Croatian MP Ermina Lekaj-Prljaskaj: First I wish you a happy 2022 hoping that this year to be a year of success and a year of health with the expectations that the pandemic will disappear at long last and that we will emerge victorious against this fatal disease.

As it has been officially reported the new session of the Croatian Parliament will start on 19 January 2022 and its agenda includes 152 items of which 134 have been carried over from the last session.

Among the items to be discussed during the parliament's new session is a request to form a commission of inquiry to investigate the use of the EU funds, laws related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the population census and opposition interpellations regarding the post-earthquake reconstruction.

As far as epidemiological rules in the plenary hall are concerned there will be no changes which mean that deputies will have to wear face masks when outside the seating area but not at the rostrum. 

In the meantime as it is the beginning of 2022, I would like to express the hope that our country, Albania will start the accession negotiations with the European Union soon.    

So let me wish you success and prosperity and peace through your honorable newspaper during this year. 

- The situation in the Western Balkans seems to me to be far from propagandistic euphoria and 2021 has testified the tense situation in the region and examples are Bosnia and Herzegovina, tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, the latter with Montenegro, the escalation of discrimination against Albanians in the Presevo Valley. Madam MP, what is the role of Croatia as an important country of the EU and NATO in avoiding confrontations, which could lead the region to the threat of peace and stability?

- Unfortunately, the Balkans is a nucleus of conflicts. I will not say who is to blame Europe or the Balkans themselves.

There have been provocations by Serbs from time to time, specifically in Bosnia and Herzegovina, recalling Srebrenica, and the Republika Srpska glorifying crimes and war criminals.

Let me be concrete. On January 9, Bosnian Serbs celebrated a banned holiday, the 'Day of Republika Srpska', but what was worse they accompanied it with threats, parades and singing of nationalist songs reminding some of the mood at the outbreak of the 1992-5 Bosnian war. In the northern town of Brcko, graffiti commemorating the victims of Srebrenica was defaced.

Incidents were registered in Prijedor, Brcko, Janja, Foca, Gacko, as well as in Priboj, in neighbouring Serbia. Some of these towns are infamous for the ethnic cleansing of their non-Serb population during Bosnia’s 1992-95 war. 

However, a Croatian cleric, Marko Marusic, criticized participation of the mayor of Banja Luka, Drasko Stanivukovic, in Sunday’s ceremony, when a plaque was erected commemorating the 1991 death of Major Milan Tepic, a Serbian officer of the old Yugoslav People’s Army. Tepic killed himself and 11 Croat soldiers by detonating an arms and ammunition depot near the Croatian town of Bjelovar. Tepic is celebrated in Republika Srpska and Serbia as a hero, while in Croatia he is perceived as a war criminal, who almost destroyed the town of Bjelovar. So it is most unfortunate to say that everything is on razor’s edge in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On the other hand, in the Presevo Valley, Albanians are denied all human rights and the disrespect to them is similar like that exerted on indigenous people.

In Montenegro and Kosovo, Serbs systematically incite various dangerous provocations and conflicts from time to time.

Croatia, as part of the European Union, tries to maintain stability and be an equilibrium factor by respecting the rights of Serb minorities. Why do I say this? I refer to this because we have three Serbian deputies in the Croatian Parliament and for the first time we have the Serbian deputy prime minister in the Croatian government.

Croatia also supports Albania and North Macedonia in opening the accession negotiations with the European Union.

But I notice another thing that the same countries that Croatia supports are negotiating with Serbia for the Open Balkans initiative. I have an impression that there is a kind of reluctance and skepticism on the part of some regional states to approach the countries of the European Union. What surprises me is an uncertainty from the unknown. Apart from the citizens of Kosovo, all citizens of the Balkan countries have the right to travel to Europe and this should enable them to understand why they should be part of Europe.

In addition NATO is currently defending borders and peace in the Balkans. I am glad that we have Croatian soldiers in Kosovo in the frame of KFOR who have sympathy for Kosovo Albanians and at the same time the cooperation between the ministries of Defense of Croatia and Kosovo is being strengthened.

- 2021 was the year of commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the painful events of the bloody war imposed by the Yugoslav army and Serbian paramilitaries on Croatia, which sought to gain independence. How do you view the attitude of Croatian politics to overcome the divisions between Croats and Serbs in the spirit of reconciliation? Does Belgrade properly contribute in the spirit of reconciliation when its officials do not accept any responsibility for crimes not only in Croatia, but also in Kosovo, Bosnia (Srebrenica), etc..

- As far as Croatia and the Croatian people are concerned, I respect that they do not forget what the Serbian regime has done in the country. Although Serbs do not admit the crimes in Croatia and Srebrenica, Croats insist and seek to clear up crime cases. Bosniaks do the same, especially in Srebrenica. I have been going to Srebrenica for six years as a representative of the Bosniaks and as a delegate from the Speaker of the Croatian parliament.

I'm sorry to say but I must say it that some crimes are forgotten in Kosovo a little too soon. I support the current government in Pristina that seeks to solve the cases of crimes in Kosovo. We need to be louder and on the same line. Let us not be afraid to mention what happened in Kosovo, not only during the war but also before the war.     

- And following this, does it seem that the initiative of the Open Balkans remains more propaganda than works towards the realization of true openness by accepting the bitter past and responsibilities?

- As for the Open Balkans, I think it is not propaganda but it is a dangerous project which harms Albanians more than anyone. We are with two states and this now makes us feel closer. If Albania does not insist that Kosovo be part of this project, then this leads to the division and disagreements in other aspects of Albanian politics.   

Regardless of whether we are two or one state, our prime ministers must have the same attitude in foreign policy. They should have a vertical connection, and we Albanians lack this - the vertical connection.

It would be preferable that our prime ministers meet with us, deputies who are abroad, and share our experiences together once a year.  

I am the only Albanian MP in Croatia, in a country of the European Union; in Serbia we have two MPs. There are Albanian deputies in North Macedonia and Montenegro. It is a great pity that we do not meet and exchange experiences and reach common attitudes on sensitive issues.  

- Mrs. Prljaskaj you took part in the inauguration of the Zagreb-Pristina-Zagreb airline at the end of last year. First, in your opinion, what is the value of this event and then as an MP of Albanian origin in the parliament of a friendly country of Albanians like Croatia, what can you tell us about the economic cooperation of this EU member country with Albania and Kosovo?

- Not only did I participate in the inauguration ceremony but I was also one of the initiators of this airline project, although there is no support from the state of Kosovo.

I say that we have good relations at the political level, but we are very far at the economic level. So Croatia has very little exchanges of goods with Albania and Kosovo, and this is what keeps us away and does not allow us to get closer.

Although we are historically connected and have the roots of cooperation since the Middle Ages, if we now do not have economic ties, we cannot have other ties.  

- Mrs. Deputy, you have become a well-known figure, among others, in the social aspect of the protection of minorities and you have extended this interest to all areas where Albanians live, but also to other minorities. What have been your achievements and prospects for this year, and if you allow me what motivates you in this not easy but very human endeavor?

- I have protected the interests and image of my Albanian community for a long time.

During my work as a lawyer and translator I have noticed that Albanian people living in Croatia need legal and linguistic assistance. This has pushed me to help them.

Even now, although I am aware of the loopholes and problems they push me to help and support and this is a pleasure and my moral obligation. So everything I do I do with my heart and I feel spiritual satisfaction after the positive results. 

- You have visited Albania several times in various delegations over the years. You have become a very well-known figure not only as an Albanian but as a Croatian politician. From this point of view, how much do you hope that 2022 will be a more successful year of cooperation between Tirana and Zagreb, where there is a high kindness towards Albanians?

- Yes, I have often visited Albania (which I love very much) as part of different delegations and every time before the visit I speak to the members of the delegations on the beauty and positive convictions to facilitate the cooperation with Albania. Most of the officials visit Albania having prejudices and after the visit they express a positive opinion and often they mention that they have been skeptical.

The best result for me is for Croatia to be a leading guide of Albania to the European Union and to be more economically and culturally connected. Let us not forget that there are a number of young Albanians in Croatia, who work in recent years, but also let us not forget that we also have businessmen from Albania who have businesses in Croatia and are successful entrepreneurs.    

- And lastly, Mrs. Deputy, how do you see the panorama of the political situation in Albania, where the political fight is intensifying, where poverty is growing, the youth is leaving the country massively, while a handful of people have become rich to madness?

- In an interview on Television of Kosovo in 2017 I said that any change must happen from above. Just as fish is cleaned starting from the head, things must be cleaned in this way.  

I said earlier that in Pristina we are very little concerned about the war in Kosovo and it seems to me that even in Albania the people are silent.

Many young people have gone abroad to work and are known as hardworking workers, but unfortunately they have lost all sense of their country by seeing the situation in political parties.

Silence at this moment is the greatest loss for our people.