The opening of consular offices in Bujanoc and Shkodër is part of an agreement in principle reached between Albania and Serbia to expand their diplomatic presence in both countries. The announcement was made by Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Gjuriç, immediately prompting reactions among the public and within Albanian politics.
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During an interview with Radio Belgrade, Gjuriç said that this understanding had been reached in meetings with Albania’s new foreign minister, Ferit Hoxha. He expressed satisfaction with the talks and said the parties had agreed in principle to establish consular offices in Shkodër and Bujanoc, while Tirana had yet to make any official announcement.
Albania’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs offered a more cautious account, explaining that discussions were continuing and that a final agreement had not yet been reached. Ferit Hoxha stressed that the process was being conducted on the basis of reciprocity and recalled that Albania had been the first party to request the opening of a consulate general in the Presheva Valley.
In his response, Hoxha described reciprocity as a fundamental principle of interstate relations and a foreign policy instrument for advancing national interests. According to him, this principle does not necessarily mean that the parties must have the same substance, objectives or interests.
The Albanian minister added that the necessary institutional procedures would begin as soon as a final understanding was reached. He also said that Albania’s consular presence in the Presheva Valley was overdue.
Albanian analyst Refik Hasani from Presheva considers the initiative to open a Serbian consulate in Shkodër harmful. According to him, such a mission is unnecessary, particularly given Serbia’s historical role and ambitions to occupy Shkodër.
Speaking to “Bota sot,” Hasani said that Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Gjuriq’s statement about the possibility of establishing a consulate in Shkodër was linked to well-known objectives, ulterior motives, predispositions and tendencies. He argued that there is no Serbian minority whatsoever in Shkodër or anywhere else in Albania, not even enough people to staff such a consulate.
Hasani recalled that the establishment of a consular mission is usually justified by the presence of a significant number of citizens of the sending country. According to him, there is also no consular need in Shkodër because Serbia already has an embassy in Tirana. He said Belgrade continues to pursue other political and diplomatic objectives, as well as other aims.
Hasani takes a different view of the possible opening of an Albanian Consulate General in Bujanoc and the impact it could have on Albanians in Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegjë. He describes the move as long overdue but insists that the mission must not remain merely symbolic and should be built on a strategic approach, given its extraordinary importance.
According to the analyst, the plan should be implemented as quickly as possible and should not be presented as the conclusion of a process, but as the beginning of a new strategy. He stressed that a diplomatic presence alone is insufficient unless it is accompanied by coordinated, clear and long-term policies to advance and protect the rights of Albanians in Serbia.
Hasani said the consulate would provide assistance in addressing the many challenges related to survival and the preservation of the Albanian population, as well as safeguarding the sacrifice and contribution of the armed struggle in the face of future challenges. According to him, the issue should be internationalized at the highest level.
He said the Albanian motherland has a moral, national and constitutional obligation to formulate a clear, fair, objective and institutional position. According to Hasani, this position of the Republic of Albania should encompass the referendum of March 1-2, 1992; the armed uprising of the UÇPMB, which defended the graves of their ancestors, their homes, dignity and the identity of the region; and the Konçul Agreement.
Hasani also expects support and action from the Albanian motherland to establish a liaison office in Tirana, which he considers more than necessary. He also called on Tirana to advocate and lobby before the highest-level EU and UN mechanisms and bodies.
According to him, the Albanian motherland can best protect the Albanian spirit in this particular region, which is inhabited by an indigenous ethnic group. Hasani also views this engagement as a contribution toward ensuring a safer and brighter future for Albanians everywhere.
The analyst said Kosovo’s relevant institutions could respond in accordance with international law, relying on all acts, conventions and treaties that serve as instruments for regulating such matters.
He added that the political parties represented in Parliament also have the opportunity, through institutional channels, to present facts and evidence against the opening of the consulate in Shkodër so that the issue can be referred to the relevant bodies, including international institutions.
In conclusion, Hasani called on Albania to first proceed with the opening of the Consulate General in Bujanoc. According to him, this process must under no circumstances be made conditional on the establishment of a Serbian consulate in Shkodër.
He based this demand on the region’s population makeup, stressing that more than 95% of Presheva’s residents are ethnic and indigenous Albanians, while in Bujanoc the figure is more than 62%. Only in Medvegjë, according to him, do ethnic and indigenous Albanians account for less than 50% of the population.
Hasani said this is a region that should be treated only in this way, as it constitutes a single, unified whole and an indivisible geographical entity. In contrast, he reiterated that the proposal for a Serbian consulate in Shkodër, where there is no Serbian minority whatsoever, reflects the continued pursuit of other political and diplomatic objectives, as well as other aims.
