State leaders arrive for holidays at Dhërmi beach Milo, on holiday without leave. The arrival of the Majko family is expected. page 13 Milo, on holiday without leave. The arrival of the Majko family is expected page 13

Of all the developed countries, Taiwan has perhaps shown the greatest readiness to increase its presence in the Balkans, following NATO’s campaign against Yugoslavia. Indeed, the first signal in this

Of all the developed countries, Taiwan has perhaps shown the greatest readiness to increase its presence in the Balkans, following NATO’s campaign against Yugoslavia. first signal in this direction had already been given earlier, with the establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Macedonia, a step grounded in mutual realism. Taiwan, one of the most developed countries and also a member of the so-called “Four Asian Tigers,” has an urgent need to expand its capital on a large scale, and today’s Balkans, preparing to begin a rapid reconstruction, provide ideal ground for this. Perhaps Beijing’s “pro-Serbian” stance during the Kosovo crisis also played a part, at a time when all the countries of the region took a position against Belgrade. The current visit of Taiwan’s prime minister, Vincent Sieu, to Macedonia undoubtedly serves to develop and strengthen Taiwan’s contribution to the reconstruction of the Balkans. Significant in this regard was also the meeting the day before yesterday between Taiwan’s prime minister and representatives of the Kosovo government, for which he has drawn up a special aid program, the first part of which has already been received by Kosovo’s government officials. Given this reality, Albania, which needs serious loans and investment more than anywhere else, has no reason to hesitate to open its doors to an influx of Taiwanese capital. The contacts between Kosovo’s politicians and Taiwan’s prime minister should serve as an encouragement to the officials in Tirana. Certainly, Tirana’s still inexplicable hesitation to take significant steps toward establishing ties with Taiwan is a consequence of the long-standing Tirana-Beijing relationship: in the 1950s and 1960s, as the People’s Republic of China’s spokesperson in Europe, Albania was the strongest defender of Chinese interests, first by calling for Beijing’s admission to the UN. But now, when relations with China are no longer at the level they were then, hesitation to make a qualitative change in Albania’s position toward Taiwan is absurd. Establishing and gradually intensifying economic, trade, cultural, sporting, and other relations between the two countries would be a useful test for both sides as they move forward. It is true that Taiwan has diplomatic relations with only a small part of the world, but it should not be forgotten that, in terms of relations in other fields, Taiwan has representatives in 88 countries around the world. And what matters is that Beijing has taken no negative steps toward this group of countries. In any case, now that economic interests are at the forefront, the influence of prejudices connected with other aspects remains secondary. The doors should also be opened to Taiwan in Albania, because it brings technology, major investment and, naturally, prosperity for our people.

Taiwanese Prime Minister Vincent Sieu with his Macedonian counterpart Georgievski in Skopje photo REUTERS

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