INTERVIEW: Governing Is Not The Same Thing as Fighting To Govern

07 05 2007  Jeta Xharra, BIRN Kosovo Director, talks with Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, on the challenges facing Kosovo

The conversation took place at the conference on Kosovo’s future held at the Rockefeller Estate in Pocantico, New York, from April 12-14.

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Xharra: What were your biggest achievements and regrets regarding Kosovo?

Albright: What I feel best about was ending ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, because it was something that we had lived with, that needed to be stopped - and then ending up in Pristina in the square with all the people cheering and thanking the US…I thought it was a great achievement. My biggest regret is that we did not stay in office long enough to make sure that we would get to the [final] status issues and try to deal with the various aspects of life in Kosovo during the last seven years.

Xharra: After attending this conference are you optimistic that Kosovo can manage the challenges of statehood and nation-building not only in the first 120 days [of independence] but further on?

Albright: I am an optimist but also a realist in the regard that there is a lot to do. It is a very large agenda and it’s going to require the cooperation of everybody, and certainly that of the Kosovo citizens who will be able to realise their hopes. But I think it’s going to be a big, big agenda, and that’s what this conference is showing. There’s a lot of work to do and a lot of very able people who want to do the work.

Xharra: Some of the people you met here you dealt with in 1999. Did they mature in the meantime and how?

Albright: Well, Hashim Thaci has some grey hair! But I think that everybody has … become… aware of the possibilities of the political process and the importance of cooperation and involving the populations in discussions and decision-making. So, I think there have been a lot of positive changes.

Xharra: You were the key to helping some of these leaders transform themselves from freedom fighters to negotiators. What is the transformation that Kosovo leaders need to make now?

Albright: All leaders have this issue that they have to know how to govern. And governing is very different than fighting to govern. It requires compromise, and understanding about what the population needs; it requires transparency and accountability and a lot of hard work, steady hard work.

Xharra: Let’s talk a little bit about Kosovo Serbs. There is concern that some of them may start packing their bags when they hear that Kosovo is becoming independent.
What do you think the majority should do?

Albright: It’s very important for the Kosovar leaders to make clear that they welcome the presence of the Serbs and that they are part of a multi-ethnic society. When I was in Pristina a couple of years ago I spoke to the assembly and made very clear I thought minority rights were very important. I was very saddened when I met with some groups of Serbs who were afraid to live in the areas where they live; that’s not what we fought for; that’s not what NATO tried to do in ending ethnic cleansing. So, I hope the leaders of Kosovo will understand that in order to have a really functioning viable state of Kosovo, a new country, it’s important to have Serbs and other minorities there and I hope that it becomes a model multi-ethnic society.

Xharra: How could they prevent an exodus of Serbs?

Albright: Nobody can prevent it, but the way to try not to have it happen is to make clear that there will be minority rights and that the Serbs will be a part of the system, that they will not be viewed as…. as not real citizens. The strength of America is that we have so many different kinds of people who live here and I think that can also be a strength for Kosovo.

Xharra: One day after independence, what do Kosovars need to focus on?

Albright: They have to begin work on all the parts that make a real country: employment, lack of corruption, laws that invite outside investors, the education process, the health system… The big challenge for the government, as well as the people is that there’s so much to do! There should be a sense of excitement about it and to have full participation.

Xharra: Do you have any ideas today about what Kosovo could expect at the donors conference?

Albright: Maybe it should be called an economic support conference, or an economic development or economic opportunity…. opportunities for people to support business and development in Kosovo. There needs to be a sense that the minorities gain out of whatever the donors might provide. I think it should be a little bit different than just governments; there should be public-private partnerships and support for various projects that show the importance of the region. Kosovo has to be part of the whole region.

Xharra: Can you explain a little of the idea of senators supporting or guaranteeing regarding investment. How does that work in America?

Albright: What happens is that we have a part of the government that is called the Overseas Private Investments Cooperation that provides guarantees for loans, and which is part of the United States budget and therefore members of Congress have to support it so that when the budget is voted…if they support it … it shows there is American governmental backing for loans.

Xharra: You talked about the constitution of Kosovo in this conference. What do you think Kosovo’s leaders and the makers of this constitution should have in mind when they draft it?

Albright: They have to have in mind how to fulfil some of the aspects of the Ahtisaari plan, … the participation of the public, how to make sure that there are minority rights – I keep stressing that, because majority rule is fine, but it has to also have minority rights. That has to be embedded in the constitution.

Xharra: Would you yourself invest in Kosovo’s economy tomorrow? Some investors are sceptical because of accusations of corruption and the fragility of the country.

Albright: It’s important to invest in Kosovo, but from the other side it is essential for the new government of Kosovo to create investment legislation, so investors don’t think they’re throwing away their money. Transparency is absolutely essential, as is lack of corruption. People are very afraid to invest in some new countries because of the corruption. Frankly, that’s something that Kosovo has to work on.

Xharra: What is the experience of the Albright group’s economic dealings in Kosovo? Is it good or bad? Is it encouraging?

Albright: We have been looking frankly at some [areas] to do with energy and some to do with telecom, but part of the issue here is what we insist on and I think we are exemplary in terms of business: we insist that everything should be legal and transparent and that there should not be corruption…

Xharra: Realistically, what sort of feedback are you getting from these dealings so far?

Albright: Well, some there are good and some are not. I don’t want to go into the specifics… We want to be involved in various opportunities, but they have to be transparent there should be no corruption it has to be accountable.

Xharra: Finally, you have seen the Kosovo Unity Team today and representatives of civil society. Don’t you think the number of women is too low?

Albright: Always! But that’s true everywhere… Women make up more than half the population of every country - it’s true in Kosovo, too, therefore to make a country work, you have to use all the resources you have and I think societies are much better, when women are politically and economically empowered. I always look for women on delegations so it would be nice to see some…yes…