Ilir Kulla: Bujar Osmani’s invitation to Lavrov in Skopje part of Russian efforts to advance “Open Balkan”

According to Albanian analyst Ilir Kulla, the “Open Balkan” initiative and the concept of border revision in the region represent projects orchestrated with Russia’s support.

During a conversation with publicist Veton Surroi, Kulla emphasized that these initiatives were part of a broader Moscow strategy to strengthen its presence in the Balkans.

He linked this strategy to a specific event: the visit to Skopje of former Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov several years ago. According to the analyst, the reception given to him at the time by his North Macedonian counterpart, Bujar Osmani, served to pave the way for these projects in the Balkan arena.

Kulla argued that the political dynamics of that time should be understood in light of Russia’s ambitions to increase its influence, placing within this framework the then-debates on “Open Balkan” and border changes.

These statements were made during his interview with Veton Surroi, reflecting the analyst’s perspective on geopolitical movements in the region.