DISINFORMATION AND FAKE NARRATIVES ABOUT GREATER ALBANIA

The conspiracy theory is one of the strongest disinformation tools. F2N2 closely followed the texts related to the Greater Albania scenarios making an effort to establish the trends through which these narratives are compiled.

The statement made by the Albanian Minister for Diaspora Pandeli Majko from August 2, 2018 “We want to lift the border between Kosovo and Albania. The Prime-minister confirmed to me that this decision is made and will be on force as of January 1, 2019” was spined by some Macedonian and Serbian portals. They wrote that there will be no border control, defining it like a step toward Great Albania.

Yet, since the story is of lifting the borders is not proving to work and the narratives are extinguishing there is another attempt to re-combine and make an effort to put the Greater Albania conspiracy theory on the agenda, in December 2018. Again, the decision to establish a joint control system between the Kosovo and Albania is presented as “lifting” the borders and a step forward towards Greater Albania.

Source: infomax.mk

The narrative was renewed in late January after a statement by the MFA of North Macedonia Nikola Dimitrov: „ The exchange of territories and ethnical borders are concepts that belong to the history… in the united Europe the borders are essentially invisible”, referring to the possible exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia. This statement was misused in a text which headline claimed “PLAN FOR GREAT ALBANIA IS INTENSIFYING: Here is the background for the realization of the idea for Great Albania”.

Source: infomax.mk

What the case is all about?

So, to conclude, over the course of six months there is a constant effort by certain Serbian and Macedonian portals/news outlets to keep alive the conspiracy narrative that the Greater Albania is just about to be declared. For the sake of this narrative they twist the truth about the abolishing of the dual border controls between Albania and Kosovo and they misuse and spin the statements of politicians.

Source: slobodnaevropa.mk

The joint control means faster transfer of people, faster transfer of goods etc. The reason for the better efficiency is the fact that instead of two administrative procedures there will be only one which will be applied by mixed teams of representatives of both countries, there will be less agencies present at the border etc. (Please explore the experience of Albania and Montenegro).

The statement of Minister Dimitrov is fully in line with the European values, as well as all the statements that contribute toward improvement of the neighboring relations of Macedonia and Albania. Also, it is a fact that the strategic goal of both countries, Macedonia and Albania is a fully fledged membership to the EU. Therefore, the cooperation in the sphere of border control is justified and needed, as it is the case with the countries of EU and other countries.

Few words of the general practices and world experiences

The most recognized case of a joint border control is “The GMS Agreement for Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport of Goods and People, 1999.” It is an agreement between Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. At first the Agreement was negotiated for almost 5 years and it did not lift the borders rather than encouraged more efficient movement of people and goods, which contributed to an increased trade between these countries. It is worth mentioning that the Agreement was sponsored by the UN.

In few words, the lifting of the borders foresee unions between the countries, which means that the Schengen set up within the EU is a mechanism which cannot be replicated based on the pure wish of any politician or political party, but what is needed is cooperation and commitment from all countries in the region. In addition, the countries will need to provide joined strategies for the external borders control and surveillance, strategies for countering terrorism and human trafficking and most importantly to implement those. There will also be a need for the EU and its Schengen system to support such effort.