Exclusive interview for Argumentum.al with the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in Albania H.E. Mr. Zlatko KRAMARIC
By Marjana Doda
Editor-in-Chief
There is progress in the relations between Croatia and Albania, but it is still not enough, especially when this cooperation is compared with some other countries. “Friendship, our good political relations must be proven by concrete activities, not words!” This was the gist of the assessment that the Ambassador of Croatia in Albania Zlatko Kramaric made of the level of the bilateral ties between Zagreb and Tirana in an exclusive interview with Argumentum.al.
Considering national minorities as the wealth of every country, the Ambassador valued highly the contribution of the Arbanas/arbereshi from Zadar/Zare saying it is immeasurable. “The fact that they have been present in these areas for more than 200 years confirms this in the best possible way. At the same time, they testify to the long-term ties between our two countries. There are no better ambassadors than them,” he said. According to Mr. Kramaric, there are sincere intentions of Albania to involve Croatia as much as possible in the EU accession negotiation process because Croatia’s experiences in this process are valuable and can help the Albanian side.
When talking about Kosovo, it must be clear to everyone that Kosovo is a political fact, said the Ambassador who was of the opinion that the Franco-German proposal on the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo received the full support of all EU members, including those 5 countries that did not recognize Kosovo. And they are aware that at this moment peace and stability in the Western Balkans are the most important. “I think that Serbia will not only have to accept this plan, but will also have to implement it.”
Regarding the relationship between Sofia and Skopje, among other things, I suggested that the issue of language, culture, and history cannot be topics in the EU negotiation process, said Zagreb’s top diplomat in Tirana, adding that these questions belong to the sphere of science, historiography, linguistics.
Asked if the Balkans risked the return of an open conflict he said after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the area of the Western Balkans became politically interesting. Namely, everything is still open here.
Speaking of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ambassador Kramaric said as for the assessment of the end of the war, he was not too optimistic because Russia is powerful and it has nuclear weapons.
The Ambassador announced that soon, the Albanian president will make an official visit to Croatia.” It is an excellent and significant message to everyone, including those in the region, but also to everyone else,” Croatian Ambassador Kramaric said in the following interview:
Argumentum.al: Honorable Ambassador, first let me thank you for agreeing to give this exclusive interview to Argumentum.al. How do you consider the current relations between Croatia and Albania, both politically and economically?
H.E. Mr. Zlatko KRAMARIC: We must be honest and say that there are still certain prejudices that slow down our political and economic relations. My task is to fight against these prejudices, both here in Albania, but also at home, in Croatia. There is progress, but it is still not enough. Especially when this cooperation is compared with some other countries. Friendship, our good political relations must be proven by concrete activities, not words! And the function of politics/diplomacy comes down to ensuring a positive atmosphere, removing it unnecessary barriers so that our economies can operate freely.
– Although we commemorated last year three decades of our diplomatic relations it must be said that the history of common ties between Albania and Croatia has early roots, as does the Albanian community in Croatia. How much have the arberesh of Zare helped our bilateral relations?
National minorities should be the wealth of every country. We are proud that the Albanian community in Croatia is an integral part of our society. And that in all aspects of life, political, cultural, spiritual, military, economic, sports… This is where the Arbanas/arbereshi from Zadar/Zare stand out. Their contribution to Croatian society is immeasurable, and the fact that they have been present in these areas for more than 200 years confirms this in the best possible way. At the same time, they testify to the long-term ties between our two countries. There are no better ambassadors than them.
–Croatia has given unsparing support to Albania in the process of getting closer to the European Union, but I personally notice that there is an incomprehensible political impasse between our two countries. I say this because I have not seen a political coordination between our governments. Are we close and far at the same time?
You are partly right. It can and must always be better. We have had several meetings lately. At those meetings, it was concluded that this coordination between our governments should be institutionalized. I can say that there are sincere intentions to involve Croatia as much as possible in this negotiation process. Finally, our experiences in this process are valuable and can help the Albanian side.
–Mr. Ambassador, you know the countries of the Western Balkans well, even as a diplomat, as you have been the Ambassador of Croatia in the Republic of Kosovo, in North Macedonia, the Consul General of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and you are currently the Ambassador of Croatia in Tirana. What divides and unites us according to your point of view?
All my diplomatic destinations (Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania… .) are equally interesting and challenging. I was the first Croatian ambassador to Kosovo immediately after the declaration of Kosovo’s independence; of course, that with this act, Croatia unequivocally declared its attitude towards this new political fact in the region; Macedonia is my old professional love, so in that country I was able to combine the pleasant with the useful; political relations in Bosnia/Republika Srpska are extremely important because of the Croatian community in that country, because of the long border, and Albania represents a great political and economic potential, which is not sufficiently recognized and used. If one Milan Sufflay, almost a hundred years ago, recognized the importance of the Albanian issue in European geopolitical relations, then we should also be aware of that importance today (I hope that in my mandate. in the central city park, managed to place a bust of that great scientist and friend of Albania).
It is said that diplomatic mandates are limited, because after a certain time diplomats fall in love with the country in which they serve, so they become uncritical in their assessments. This is the only reason why our mandates are limited. That’s how I, in each of the countries I’ve been to, tried to see only the beautiful, from new and different customs, folklore, culture, food, music, beautiful and interesting places, talking to the ordinary world… to learn something new and, of course, at other times to return to all those countries as an informed tourist!
Since I am also a writer, I regularly keep my diaries, which I will publish one day. Therefore, allow me not to single out any destination in particular: they are all equally interesting!
–Mr. Kramaric, what is your opinion on the dialogue sponsored by the EU and the US to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia? What do you think about the Franco-German proposal? Will we have an agreement between Pristina and Belgrade?
When talking about Kosovo, it must be clear to everyone that Kosovo is a political fact. It is the zero premise/starting point of all agreements. After all, just like Dayton’s Bosnia and Herzegovina. Any other option (correction of borders, demands for territorial autonomy…) represents a big risk. No one in Europe needs another stoppage. Finally, this proposal on the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo received the full support of all EU members, including those 5 countries that did not recognize Kosovo. And they are aware that at this moment peace and stability in the Western Balkans are the most important.
I think that Serbia will not only have to accept this plan, but will also have to implement it. And all its elements. The statements of the European leaders are more than clear. It is high time for relations between Belgrade and Pristina to normalize. That would be a good message to other political actors in the region as well. above all, to those in Belgrade, Banja Luka and Montenegro, who still think they can sabotage these positive processes. And finally, the question of all questions: where are the citizens of Kosovo in all this, regardless of nationality?!
– Although the negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia were opened a year ago, the progress of the Skopje is still facing the Bulgarian conditionality. As a seasoned connoisseur of this country, do you think that it will sacrifice language, culture and history in addition to its name? Who is right in this historic clash between the two countries?
I don’t know if you know that I am a university professor of Macedonian literature and culture, a member of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, so I am a priori an unreliable witness. I wrote several books about these problems regarding the relationship between Sofia and Skopje, in which, among other things, I suggested that the issue of language, culture, and history cannot be topics in the negotiation process. These questions belong to the sphere of science, historiography, linguistics… I know that there are certain ambiguities, but I am also aware that the wheel of history cannot be turned back, and that the Macedonian nation, state, and language are indisputable facts. The solution to this political-emotional dispute should be sought in dialogue, in inclusiveness.
A philosophy that is based on the principle of either or is not good, not a single problem can be solved with it! However, this is just one more proof that in these areas all nations suffer from “the excess of history”!
– Russian military aggression against Ukraine has brought uncertainty to Europe and the Balkans. Today, one year later, does the Balkans risk the return of an open conflict, starting from some disagreements that occasionally cause turmoil, such as in Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina?
You are absolutely right. After Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the area of the Western Balkans becomes politically interesting. Namely, everything is still open here. Not a single agreement (Dayton, Ohrid, Kumanovo) was completely successful. All these agreements only froze the existing conflicts. Likewise, we must not ignore the Russian influence on the political situation in the region. This influence is also visible in Belgrade, Podgorica, and the Republic of Serbia… And it’s no secret. Milorad Dodik, the president of the Republika Srpska, speaks about this publicly, and in Serbia there are pro-Russian political parties, as well as politicians who oppose any idea of a European Serbia, and such attitudes enable Vucic to sit on two (and more) chairs.
Furthermore, in your media, attention was paid to the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is a political organization par excellence, which has great ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. Likewise, we must keep in mind that Serbian politics has not given up on the Greater Serbia project. However, now that project is hiding behind the innocent phrase ‘serbian world’, which is just another name for old, imperial political strategies. Therefore, the recent presidential elections in Montenegro are very important. The victory of M. Djukanovic would be a good sign that Montenegro is still on the European path and that it is not giving up on European values.
-The Russian invasion of Ukraine is seen as a threat to the geopolitical world order. Many analysts say that the world order will not be the same as before. Do you have a prediction of how this war will end?
Recently, I had the opportunity to read Paul Mason’s excellent article ‘Misjudgment’, in which this author expertly elaborates exactly this thesis of yours about the change in the world order, which was established after the end of the Second World War, in 1945. Russia with the assistance of China, remember that Russian and Chinese leaders met only a few days before the beginning of Russian aggression. On that occasion, they published a joint statement in which, among other things, it is stated that the global project is a fiction, that universal rights no longer exist. And since then we have the attempt of these two countries to establish a ‘multipolar’ world order in which force would be stronger than international law. They decided to use the system of economic globalization to destroy the legal and geopolitical order that allowed them to flourish – sic!
As for the assessment of the end of the war, I am not too optimistic. Russia is powerful and Russia has nuclear weapons!
–To conclude this interview with our two countries. Mr. Ambassador, both Croatia and Albania have shown that they are a factor of peace and stability in our region. What can they do more for being in unison in the face of security threats and not only in the Western Balkans?
Peace and stability have no alternative. Both Albania and Croatia are aware of these facts.
Soon, the Albanian president will make an official visit to Croatia. It is an excellent and significant message to everyone, including those in the region, but also to everyone else. Our countries are members of the NATO alliance, and that is a very important geopolitical fact. It would be desirable if it gained even greater importance. We have to find a way to make it not only more visible, but that this fact represents the starting point of all our other relations as well, in the field of economy, energy, better transport links, tourism, security… I am convinced that our presidents will open up exactly these topics, which will then be operationalized at the government level.
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