Albanian Telegraphic Agency: ATA-Tanjug – International conference “Serbs and Albanians – Which Way Further?”

TIRANA, October 4 /ATA / – Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) and the Serbian Tanjug News Agency organized Wednesday in Tirana the international conference “Serbs and Albanians – Which Way Further?” in Tirana.

The relations between the two nations, the historical, political and international circumstances generating those relations today, as well as the direction in which they could be developing in the future considering the common goal of EU accession, was discussed by Albanian and Serbian international experts on those relations.

The panel participants include , European Parliament Speaker Hannes Swoboda, Majlinda Bregu from the Regional Cooperation Council, Dr. Gjergj Murra, Executive Director of the Western Balkans Fund, Aleksandra Joksimovic, president of the Center for Foreign Policy in Belgrade, and Dejan Miletic, president of the Center for Globalization Studies.

“The media should lead the efforts towards building a new friendship of understanding and cooperation between our two nations,” the Director General of the Albanian Telegraphic Agency, Armela Krasniqi, said in her opening remarks at the international conference titled “Serbs and Albanians – Which Way Further?” jointly organised by the Albanian ATA news agency and Serbia’s Tanjug news agency in Tirana on Wednesday.

“There is a trend and will to overcome the negative stereotypes that frequently accompany the bilateral relations between Albania and Serbia or Albanians and Serbs in the region, said Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ditmir Bushati at the conference organized in Tirana on Wednesday by the Albanian Telegraphic Agency and the Serbian News Agency Tanjug under topic “Serbs and Albanians-Which way further?”

FM Bushati emphasized that the Albanian-Serbian relations go beyond the relations established in the course of these years.

“Albanians and Serbs live very close to each other and our histories and destinies are interwoven, so we should improve our ties. The EU is all about a common future,” the Director of Serb News Agency “Tanjug”, Branka Djukic, said in her remarks at the international conference taking place in Tirana “Serbs and Albanians – Which way further?” hosted by Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) and Serb news agency “Tanjug”.

While, Belgrade’s Foreign Policy Center President, Aleksandra Joksimovic stressed that “the media is the first to lobby for positive messages about the relations between Albania and Serbia.”

Belgrade President of the Center for Global Studies, Dejan Miletic noted that “Serbia has been accused of being in the role of the victim in international affairs for more than 25 years, but this has changed since Serbia is no longer the country of the 5 years ago , but it is a Serbia of tolerance, development  aiming towards the European path “.

Executive Director of the Western Balkans Fund, Gjergj Murra, pointed out that out of the total funds allocated to the region 47% were received from projects coming from Albania and Serbia adding that civil society has already expanded its ties in the Western Balkans.

Chairman of the Union of Chambers of Industry and Trade, Ines Muçostepa, and Advisor of the President of Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nikolin Jaka, emphasized that, increasing trade exchanges between the two countries would be the best way to improve relations between Albanians and Serbs.

During his speech, MEP Hannes Swoboda emphasized that, the most important thing is that Albanians and Serbs should take responsibility for themselves and the region.The member of the European Parliament also stressed that both countries are conducting constructive dialogue of meetings. “We should focus on how the trade and  emigration works , as well as other main issues that according to me have not been yet solved,” MEP Swoboda said.Also , Swoboda placed a greater emphasis on the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo. as an opportunity for the EU integration.

“There is a clear commitment from Brussels and EU members as far as enlargement is concerned, which is a clear indication that in 2025 two countries from the Western Balkans will join EU with Serbia one of them. The negotiations will open with the Western Balkans countries in June 2019”, the special envoy of EU for Kosovo, Wolfgang Petritsch, said in his remarks.

The question of Kosovo has been and will continue to be high on the agenda of Albanian diplomacy. Given that Kosovo is an independent country, which has started to negotiate with Serbia for many years now the burden of responsibility to find a solution does not lie in Tirana but in Pristina and Belgrade, the history scholar Paskal Milo said at the international conference held in Tirana entitled “Serbs and Albanians – Which way further?”, organized by ATA and “Tanjug”.

Milo went on saying that the role of Albania is all about facilitating, assisting and contributing to make such a thing happen, its role is not decisive. This needs to be clear to us all representing the Albanian world in Tirana, Pristina, Tetovo or in Ulcinj. Anyone in his country should pursue policies and build their future in their country but also take into consideration the factors in a certain country with Albanian population to build bridges of co-habitation, cooperation and common future.

Miroljub Zarić, Serbia’s ambassador to Tirana, said that “the relations between the Albanian and Serbian state over the last five years are at a very high level”.

While ,Ambassador of Kosovo in Albania, Sylë Ukshini stated that “Kosovo is committed to cooperate with Serbs”.

The regional cooperation is not a condition set by the EU to take our region forward, but an indispensability to develop what we have as a common asset, said on Wednesday General Secretary of the Regional Cooperation Council Majlinda Bregu.//a.i/

Source: Albanian Telegraphic Agency