Albania and the Meeting in Rambouillet

AIM Tirana, 4 February, 1999

The telephone in the office of Albania's foreign minister Paskal Milo rang a few times at noon, on 2 February. Alberto Dini, Italian foreign minister along with a few ambassadors of countries of the West in Tirana wished to congratulate minister Milo in person for the statement made that day on participation of Liberation Army of Kosovo (OVK) at the meeting in Rambouillet organised by the Contact Group. It had all begun in the morning of 2 February, when news spread around the Albanian capital on sharp words of the political leader of OVK, Adem Demaqi, uttered in Pristina, that he had unexpectedly called the main staff of the Kosovo army which is fighting for independence, not to go to negotiations.

In the company of the Belgian foregn minister Derycke who was at the end of his visit to Tirana, Milo came forward with other members of the government in order to disperse wonder caused by the words of the man who had just a month before spoken quite differently in Tirana. The statement of the Albanian government openly appealled on "all Albanian factors, especially OVK, to go united to the meeting in Rambouillet".

What followed after the declaration of 2 February, confirmed that the intervention had taken place at the right time and the right place. Just a few hours later, OVK declared that it would go to Rambouillet although it failed to say anything about the rank and the list of representatives. This shift which caused estrangement with Demaqi and rapprochement with positions of Tirana was the reason why Albanian newspapers just a few hours later spoke of "the Albanian government being in command of OVK", which does not seem to worry anybody in the offices of the parent country for as long as this whole turmoil is considered to be just another indirect investment into increasing of the role of Albania in the crisis of Kosovo.

On the other hand, Albanian officials had achieved minimum success with their initiative launched in January, which was aimed at creation of a a united pan-Albanian stand even before the beginning of the dialogue on resolving the conflict. Conceived as a move which would unite parties and make them accept a certain stand, in the beginning of this year, the initiative of Tirana brought to the Albanian capital two important protagonists of political life in Pristina: Rexhep Qosja and Adem Demaqi. The highest officials of the parent country appelled on these two politicians from Kosovo to avoid the language of dispute and to unite in the name of emergency of the moment and creation of a united delegation which had not been established since March last year, after the parallel elections were organised in the province.

For more than a year, Demaqi and Qosja along with other politicians from Kosovo, who had silently succumbed to the pacifist policy of Rugova and his Democratic League of Kosovo (DSK), demanded isolation of the president elected in the elections they had considered irregular. According to their view of the solution of the problem of Kosovo Rugova was the problem, and OVK a solution. With such a stand they had come to Tirana and a change occurred there. Faced with pressure exerted by the parent state which urged them to turn towards a compromise and turn their backs to "futile disunion", Demaqi and Qosja accepted the new stand which the Albanian state had established.

The proposal of Tirana addressed to the political class in Pristina is organization of a round table of all political parties where different possibilities would be discussed and passing of it in the parliament supported by Ibrahim Rugova. In this way, according to Albanian officials, it would be possible to avoid clashes between institutions in Kosovo which has blocked creation of a negotiating team of ethnic Albanians for months.

The new diplomatic initiative of Albania was favourably assessed in western offices. The Americans and the Europeans looked upon the initiative of official Tirana as one of the possibilities for success exactly at the point where "flying" diplomacy of ambassador Hill had failed - in bringing the Albanians in Kosovo closer around a single united political cause. The task was not accomplished in the first four weeks of this year, for which main responsibility rests with Rugova who was prevented to come to Tirana by personal motives more than principled ones. It seems that the refusal of the pacifist leader who has significant difficulties has partly influenced Demaqi's defiance on the day when he informed the public that he would not go to Rambouillet. Many of those who were present at the press conference were astonished by the words of the political representative of OVK, the very sharp words addressed to his opponent with the scarf around his neck.

In this way, by issuing another bill to Rugova for failure of the Albanians in Kosovo to unite, Demaqi decided not to go to the castle near Paris on 6 February. This definitely cast a shadow of doubt on the stand Kosovo Albanians would stick to in unexpected turns this "mini" Dayton may take.

The role of Albania at the beginning of the meeting seems to be the role of a country which is closer to the crisis than others, but which is not directly involved in its solution. Just a few days prior to that, diplomatic sources informed that at this moment the demand of Albania to be present at the talks in Rambouillet was not met. Albanian diplomacy was told with certain tact that it was not an international conference. After the first conclusions of the parties are reached around the table, it will be clear whether assistance of the Albanian state, which has been essential so far, will be sought again by the international community. At the moment, Albania is still considered to be the parent country of Kosovo Albanians, but without all the rights which are considered to result from such a status. Such a solution is not approved of in Tirana, but the feeling of self-restraint is just as strong. This is a reflex well trained by Albanian politicians in the years of transition, who are well aware of the weight of their country on the international scene.

Andi TELA