PM Vucic: A foreign agency involved in intensifying the talk about Greater Albania

The Serbian security services allegedly found traces of a joint operation of at least one foreign agency with intelligence agencies in Tirana and Pristina.

During his visit to Leskovac, PM Vucic said that Serbian secret services identified at least one security agency that collaborates with similar agencies from Tirana and Pristina. He added that “Serbia is prepared to protect their own.”

“I am not sure what their final goal is. Our services have found traces of foreign agencies’ involvement. However, the effort of pushing the “Greater Albania” story is not enough since the agency in question is not from any of the world power countries,” said PM Vucic, adding that he noticed overconfidence on Pristina’s side during the talks in Brussels.

PM Vucic observed it might be possibile that “Albanians’ frequent mentioning of Great Albania project” serves to legitimize this idea, so that the public opinion and foreign politicians get used to it.

Albanian PM Edi Rama said in an interview for Politico last week, that he cannot dismiss the idea of uniting Kosovo and Albania if the EU integrations fail. His statement was supported by the President of Kosovo Hashim Taci and Jonuz Musliu, the President of municipality of Bujanovac, near the border with Kosovo.

The Greater Albania, defined by Prizren league in 1878, implies that all Albanians should live in one state. Advocates of this project claim that parts of the territories of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Kosovo should be part of Greater Albania.

PM Rama’s statement was commented by the US ambassadors in Belgrade, Tirana, and Pristina, who said that the statement on uniting Kosovo and Albania was careless. They also warned that an “overreaction” to this statement could undermine the stability in the region.

Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations said on Monday that he was irritated by the statement on uniting Kosovo and Albania. 

“Everyone can say whatever they want, but they cannot act against constitutional order. I do not know where and what they will form, but I know it will not be on Serbia’s territory,” said Vucic.

He said Serbia is seeking for peace and stability, but it will not allow taking its territory.

Pristina declared a unilateral independence from Serbia in 2008. Since 2013, Belgrade and Pristina have had ongoing talks on normalization of relationship under the EU supervision.

Natasa Bogovic