TIRANA – Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has radically changed geopolitical dynamics and energized efforts to bring the Western Balkans closer to the EU, panel ‘Breaking barriers to cooperation’ was told on regional security”, at the Civil Society Forum in Tirana.
The panel discussed strategies to streamline regional security cooperation initiatives and build greater trust for exchanges and collaboration among the region’s security institutions. Participants expressed their views on the current state of regional security cooperation, as well as threats related to cybersecurity, organized crime and corruption.
The Minister of the Interior of Albania, Taulant Ballamentioned during the discussion a meeting of the region’s interior ministers within the framework of the Berlin process, during which they discussed regional cooperation in the field of security.
According to him, key themes of the ministerial meeting included integrated border control, combating organized crime and establishing regional cooperation on cybersecurity.
He said the war in Ukraine has created an entirely new geopolitical context, not only in the EU but also in the Western Balkans. He added that the negative impact of the war and the Russian presence in the region can only be mitigated by the region’s full integration into the EU.
Balla strongly condemned the armed attack against the Kosovo police in Banjska, northern Kosovo.
“Albania condemns in the strongest terms the violent attack against the Kosovo police. This attack was a criminal act and an act of aggression against the stability, integrity, independence and public order in Kosovo. This constitutes a threat to the security and stability of the entire region, with direct consequences,” Balla stressed.
Speaking about the Berlin process, he stressed that the agreement on identity cards constitutes an important achievement, especially in the context of security coordination in the region.
He also added that Albania maintains particularly strong bilateral cooperation with World Bank countries, such as Kosovo. He noted that so far, 26 bilateral agreements related to the security sector and enhanced cooperation in this area had been signed.
Addressing the new threat facing the Western Balkan countries, cybercrime, Balla stressed the need for a common approach and the pooling of skills from across the region, with the help of the United States, EU and other Western partners.
Xhelal Sveçla, The Minister of Interior of Kosovo estimated during the panel that the quality of democracy and institutions is more important than ever.
He stressed that Kosovo is fully committed to capacity building and participation in regional initiatives. Besides the agreements with Albania, Svecla mentioned 14 bilateral agreements with North Macedonia so far, as well as nine with Montenegro.
However, he assessed that there is no progress in cooperation with Serbia in terms of security. Sveçla added that the Serbian side is not ready for such a process, believing that the Kosovo authorities have proven that Belgrade is linked to the Banjska attack.
“From the footage we saw, we proved that Serbia also supported the attack,” Svecla said, mentioning the attack on KFOR troops in Zvečan. “Tolerating such activities can only harm stability,” Sveçla said.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Josip Brkić, recalled that the Western Balkans are not less European because they are still not part of the EU. “Our social, cultural and historical origin is linked to Europe.”
According to him, this new political momentum must be exploited to fulfill the promise of Thessaloniki and stabilize the entire political situation in the region. He believes it could be helpful to change the narrative and focus on positive achievements within countries.
“This political momentum will not last long. Enlargement should not be hostage to the internal composition of the EU,” Brkić said, adding that political stability and regional cooperation, however, depend a lot on the leaders of the Western Balkans. He expressed hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina will open accession negotiations in December.
Sonja Stojanović Gajić, Independent consultant, stressed the importance of integrating the Western Balkans into EU rule of law standards.
She stressed that the entire region can find itself fully integrated in many areas without true democracy. “The worst-case scenario is that, on paper, we look good and integrated, but we remain without democracy and without managing the daily concerns, security and rights of our citizens,” she said.
Dan Ilaziresearch director at the Kosovo Center for Security Studies, said the thematic working group dedicated to security and geopolitics shared its recommendations for strengthening regional cooperation in this area in three categories: EU, States regional, civil society and media.
The European Commission should create a financial facility exclusively dedicated to supporting reconciliation projects in the Western Balkans. For the new legislature, the European Commission/DG Near should present a proposal for the creation of such a program, within the framework of the IAP, Global Europe, or another suitable instrument.
In 2024, national authorities in the Western Balkans should focus on establishing a foreign direct investment (FDI) screening mechanism, or at least agree on regionally accepted standards for investment screening. Ilaze mentioned that the recommendation to WB leaders is to change language and rhetoric.
“We call on leaders to spread more reconciliatory messages, without resorting to rhetoric demonizing groups or blaming anyone,” Ilazi added.
The recommendation to the media and civil society is to deepen cooperation in combating disinformation and fact-checking. As Ilazi concluded, the media plays a crucial role and greater collaboration at the regional level is needed.