An Institutional Perspective on Security Issues: The Case of Albania

Enika Abazi (1)

1 Paris Peace Reasearch Institute

At the present time "vital security interests are no longer national interests, and national security interests are no longer vital". Vital national interests are challenged by a wide range of problems that go beyond the military ones that have almost become anachronistic in the face of economic and environmental problems, terrorism, migration, civil unrest, resurgent nationalistic splits and fear of further escalation of tension across borders. These challenges require an adequate, complex and instrumental approach. A single state cannot provide sustainable and satisfactory solutions to all contemporary challenges. The institutional approach is the most appropriate in providing the solution to the new challenges, especially to those related to security and defence issues. The purpose of international institutions and their role is to "provide an acceptable balance between the sovereign equality and independence of states on the one hand and the reality of an interdependent world and the international law commitment to human dignity on the other". To these considerations should be added the assumption that institutions could attenuate the burden of difficulties that amount from the transition processes – most of the Balkan countries are part of it – that aim at transforming centralised regimes into democratic ones.

Mots clés: Institutional Approach; Security; Albania

Domaines: Science politique; Sociologie; Histoire

Enika Abazi. An Institutional Perspective on Security Issues: The Case of Albania. Defense and Security Sector Reform in South East Europe: Insights and Perspectives, 1, DCAF, pp.136-148, 2003, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia: A Self-Assessment Study. ⟨halshs-01340932⟩