TIRANA: The prime ministers of Serbia and Albania, Aleksandar Vucic and Edi Rama, in an historic visit vowed to strengthen their fragile ties in the interests of the future stability of the Balkans.

“There was a chilly period between Belgrade and Tirana but this (Vucic’s) visit is a sign of the will of the two countries even if we are far from agreeing on all” issues, Rama said at a joint press conference marking the first visit by a Serbian head of government.

Also read: Serbian PM to make historic visit to Albania

At the heart of the mutual friction was Kosovo, the former Serbian province with an ethnic Albanian majority which unilaterally declared independence in 2008. Belgrade still refuses to recognise it as a nation, unlike some 100 countries including the United States and most nations in the European Union.

“The relations between Albania and Serbia and Albanians and Serbs are the key for the future of the region”, which was torn apart by a series of inter-ethnic wars in the 1990s, Rama said.

But the two countries “could do what Germany and France did for the peace “after World War II, he added.

Vucic said he believed that “ties between Serbs and Albanians will be the backbone of relations in the Balkans”. “We extend our hand of friendship to Albania. “Vucic’s historic visit comes six months after Rama visited Belgrade in the first visit by a Tirana head of government for 68 years.

Tight security measures were taken for the visit with some 1,300 policemen deployed in the capital, local media reported. Helicopters were hovering while traffic was blocked in areas.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2015

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