Serbia is the target? Union of Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, and so-called Kosovo: This is how the influential politician from Pristina imagines the future of Balkans
Kasumi notes that this would not mean the creation of a classical confederation, but on the contrary, the modern confederation in which each state preserves its sovereignty, but in matters in which it can act as a body, initially concluding an agreement on certain issues
Former Kosovo Prime Minister, Bajram Kosumi, presented his vision of creating a modern confederation of "four regional states - Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia", which would cooperate in the field of diplomacy, trade, the army and the free movement of people and goods.
According to him, this idea could be realized because no country has problems with each other.
He explains that the Albanians are an integral part of every state and as a majority, they have the strategic interest for maintaining independence and friendly relationship with Northern Macedonia and Montenegro, due to Albanian factor in those states and, as he claims, the hegemony of Serbia's influence and the influential policies of others.
In a text published during a recent conference on the vision of the Balkans, organized by the Universal Peace Federation in Tirana, Kasumi says that "four countries" have a small territory, small markets, with a poorly developed economy.
It notes that the gross product of the "four countries" ranges from around five billion dollars, the amount Montenegro has, up to 13 billion, the amount Albania has.
The author of the book "Concept for a New Political Opinion" explained why a union of "four countries" would be fruitful in the economic sense, Pristina Zeri reports.
According to him, the union of four small states could save the state budget in the field of diplomacy, as well as in other areas.
The goes when it comes to the army, considering that those are small states with a few soldiers, which doesn't guarantee safety to any of them.
Kosumi, who is the Rector of the "Kadri Zeka" University in Gnjilane and professor of journalism at the University of Pristina, is the author of numerous books.
He believes that NATO is certainly the most important security factor for these "four small states", and on the other hand, the EU is a strategic factor for their future, but notes that the process of integration of these countries in the EU is very difficult.
In spite of some progressive steps, like the agreement between Greece and Macedonia, the fragile situation in security, the situation would certainly go awry if it wasn't for NATO.
He claims that Serbia "continues to have hostile relations with Kosovo and tense relations with the other three countries, and in no way hides invasive and hegemonic appetites".
Russia, he says, is trying to penetrate into the policies of the "four states" in many ways, just like in this part of Europe. Another factor, which is increasingly threatening the world, is international terrorism, of which four small states are the promised land.
Four small states have small human potential, 630.000 in Montenegro up to 3 million people in Albania.
- The armies of these small states start from 2.500 people, in Kosovo, up to 9.000-10.000 in Northern Macedonia and Albania. No small army of these four states can't be a guarantee of safety after any average regional or European countries.
He also notes that a large part of the budget of "four small states" goes to the salaries of state administration, which is necessary for each country, but it represents a huge burden for each of the smaller states.
Finally, Kasumi says it would be easier to cross the borders, and if these four small countries create a common market without political and customs barriers, their gross product would be $ 35 billion, capable of competing in the European and world markets. There would be an area of 78,783 square kilometers and 7.5 million inhabitants.
By joining the army of "four small states" under the auspices of NATO: a coordinated army of 30,000 soldiers would be created.
Kasumi notes that this would not mean the creation of a classical confederation, but on the contrary, the modern confederation in which each state preserves its sovereignty, but in matters in which it can act as a body, initially concluding an agreement on certain issues.