“Our position on Berisha is very clear” / US against protest, Escobar condemns January 8 violence: Prosecute anyone involved

Escobar told VOA that relying on street protests does not necessarily mean supporting the electorate and reconfirmed that he has good relations with the chairman of the Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha. In the interview with his colleague Keida Kostreci, Mr. Escobar also spoke about the role that Washington will play in the Kosovo-Serbia talks, as well as about the hopes for the European integration of the region.

Voice of America: Mr. Escobar, the situation at the headquarters of the main opposition party in Albania, the Democratic Party, became violent last weekend. What do you think about what happened that day and in general what is happening in the Democratic Party?

Gabriel Escobar: I think it is unfortunate that someone will use violence and not the ballot box in an attempt to take control of a political party. And we condemn this. We are united with our European partners in condemning (violence) and hope it does not happen again. We also call on the authorities to prosecute any person involved in political violence.

Voice of America: You say that you hope it does not happen again, but Mr. Berisha has said that he will not give up his efforts…

Gabriel Escobar: This is unfortunate and I think that our position on Mr. Berisha is already very clear.

Voice of America: Are you worried about the fate of the Democratic Party? It was the first party formed after the fall of communism, which brought pluralism and now it is in a very weakened position.

Gabriel Escobar: It is up to the voters to determine the position of political parties in Albania. It is unfortunate that although we consider the Democratic Party an important partner in Albania, not everyone who claims to be a member of the Democratic Party is an important partner of ours at the moment.

Voice of America: Prior to Mr. Berisha’s appointment this year by the State Department as persona non grata, he was virtually politically retired. And now there are critics, who say that after this determination he has returned strongly and energetically supported by his supporters, becoming a factor again. What is your reaction to these rumors?

Gabriel Escobar: First of all, the definition had to do with corruption. It had nothing to do with the politics of his supporters or his political life. And we have called on the authorities to fight corruption wherever it is to identify and prosecute those responsible. As for the comeback, I’m not sure it’s exactly like that. It is possible that he has supporters. But I would draw the attention of those who think that the fact that he can bring out violent supporters in the streets signals a kind of electoral support. I doubt it to be so. And I hope voters reject this kind of behavior in these kinds of activities.

Voice of America: However, it seems that his supporters are strongly supporting him and it seems that he has many…

Gabriel Escobar: Yes it is possible. But I do not want to talk about Berisha. I want to talk about the future of Albania and the future of Albanian-American relations. Albania is now one of the strongest and most important allies we have in the region. Our relations in all aspects, political, strategic, military and even economic are growing faster than any other relationship in the region. We want to keep it that way. This is the future. If the people, including his supporters, want to look back, it is up to them (to decide). But we hope that people will understand that Albania has a very bright future ahead, if it continues on the path it is taking, which is a strong Euro-Atlantic orientation.

Voice of America: In every country the opposition is vital to hold the government accountable. And there are those who say that with what is happening now with the Democratic Party, no attention is being paid to the oversight of the government and the prime minister in Albania, how they are doing their job. Is this troubling you?

Gabriel Escobar: I believe that every European country, just like our country, should have a healthy opposition. I believe the current Democratic Party offers such a thing. I have a good relationship with Mr. Basha. So I would say that what is happening on the street does not really reflect what the Democratic Party is now. So I hope the voters understand, that the voters reject this kind of behavior.

Voice of America: And will there be definitions of other persons?

Gabriel Escobar: I have said that I do not like to talk about sanctions in general, for many reasons, but mainly for the fact that this is not the way the United States engages in the region, especially with Albania. We have so many positive ways of engaging and we will continue to use them. However, there will be other determinations in the region.

Voice of America: Mr. Escobar, let’s move on to Kosovo. Last year there was no progress in talks between Kosovo and Serbia. There was even a period of high tensions. The US and you yourself have made it clear that you want the normalization of relations to be realized as soon as possible and an agreement to be reached. How does Washington think this could happen, given the widening gap between the two countries?

Gabriel Escobar: It remains to be seen. We are starting this new year with renewed energy and a new emphasis on the functioning of dialogue. I will soon make a trip to the region, together with Mr. Lajçak to signal our support for the dialogue and to show our commitment towards the functioning of the dialogue. It is an EU-led dialogue, but we strongly support it. And I hope we make progress. But I must say that in this regard, the issue of Serbia and Kosovo is not just about the United States and Europe, but also about our colleagues in the region. And in this regard I would say that Albania has been very useful. Tirana speaks constructively with both sides and fully supports our efforts to establish a stable relationship between Serbia and Kosovo, which we appreciate.

Voice of America: I also wanted to ask you about the hopes of EU integration for Albania, given that enlargement is not one of the main priorities of the EU at the moment.

Gabriel Escobar: I hope that Albania will become a member of the European Union in a short time, as it has done a lot in this regard. It is a European country in terms of culture, economy and history. And our argument for those few European Union countries that are skeptical, is that if they take as an example our American experience with Albania and NATO, they should know that Albania will be a valuable and constructive member, because it has proven this in NATO.

Voice of America: What is your opinion on the problems that Bulgaria has created for Northern Macedonia? Will it continue to be a joint integration process for this country and Albania?

Gabriel Escobar: I think both countries have won the right to open intergovernmental conferences. We support such a thing. We support the membership of both countries, as soon as possible. We are seeing positive signals from both Sofia and Skopje. So yes, I continue to hope that Albania and Northern Macedonia move quickly in that direction.

Voice of America: Hopes for EU integration have emerged as arguments for both countries to engage constructively in a final solution. But given that enlargement does not appear to be at the top of the EU agenda, is this an effective tool?

Gabriel Escobar: I think the European Union has signaled several times that enlargement is their strategic goal. Our position is that it should be a much faster process.

And there are many in the European Union who agree with us in this regard. So it has to happen. It is a strategic priority.

This is a part of Europe. It is an integral part of Europe and I think the people of this region should have a place at the table in the European Union. So yes, this will continue to be our policy and will continue to be the main point of our dialogue with Europe. And I believe they have that clear too.

Voice of America: For Kosovo and the region, it has always been important to have strong American involvement in order to make progress. In this new year, will the United States be more involved in the negotiation process and in implementing the US administration’s policy of mutual recognition between the two countries?

Gabriel Escobar: We will engage intensively with both countries. Yes, we will show our support for dialogue with concrete steps. We will help, we will work with our European partners to realize whatever is decided in this dialogue, in this EU-led process. So, yes, we will be very engaged in the process, but not only in Serbia and Kosovo, but in the whole region and not only for political issues, but also economic issues. We see many opportunities for economic development in the region, especially in Albania and Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro, so we will continue to work in all directions.

Voice of America: What would be your appeal in general to the leaders of this region which is still the most fragile of Europe?

Gabriel Escobar: I would say that they should focus on multiethnic reconciliation, regional economic integration, European standards and the creation of areas of opportunity within the Western Balkans from which all people can benefit. And I think that the government of Albania has started this with the initiative of the Open Balkans, which we think is a positive development in the region, so I see a bright future for the region. We want to be part of this process and I know that the European Union has the same attitude.

Voice of America: You say that the Open Balkans is a positive initiative, but can it be effective without the participation of all countries in the region?

Gabriel Escobar: Can not. And this is the condition on which we support it: First, to meet the Berlin standards set by the European Union. And secondly to be open to all countries And practically does not work without all countries. Pipelines cannot be interrupted, highways cannot be interrupted. You can not have a free trade area if you have to stop somewhere in the middle of the road and have trucks waiting in line for five hours, so the initiative must cover all countries so that the standards are European because after all, to have a free trade area, you have to have institutions that can manage goods and money effectively.

So, it is about standards and these are the two conditions: to be open to all and to follow the appropriate standards and institutions. These are the conditions of our support for this project./VOA/

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