Presheva Calls for Bujanoc Consulate to Open Without Being Tied to Shkodra

Albania and Serbia have reached an agreement in principle to expand their diplomatic representation in each other’s territories by opening consular offices in Bujanoc and Shkodra. The announcement was made by Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Gjuriç, immediately prompting reactions from the Albanian public and political establishment.

During an interview with Radio Belgrade, Gjuriç said the agreement in principle had been reached in talks with his Albanian counterpart, Ferit Hoxha. He said he was pleased with his meetings with Albania’s new foreign minister and with the discussions on opening consular offices in Shkodra and Bujanoc, while Tirana had yet to issue any official announcement.

Albania’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs later offered a more cautious account, explaining that discussions were ongoing and that the parties had not yet finalized an agreement. Ferit Hoxha stressed that the issue was being considered on the basis of reciprocity, while recalling that Albania had been the first party to request a consulate general in the Presheva Valley.

In his response, Hoxha described reciprocity as a fundamental principle in relations between states and as a foreign policy tool for advancing national interests. According to him, this principle does not necessarily require the content, objectives or interests of both parties to be equal.

The minister added that the necessary institutional procedures would begin once a final understanding had been reached. He also said that establishing an Albanian consular presence in the Presheva Valley was overdue.

Albanian analyst Refik Hasani, based in Presheva, opposes the initiative to open a Serbian consulate in Shkodra, which he considers harmful. He argues that neither the city nor Albania as a whole has a Serbian minority that would justify such a consular service and that, in his view, there are not even enough Serbs to staff the consulate itself.

Speaking to “Bota sot,” Hasani said Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Gjuriq’s statement about the possibility of opening a consulate in Shkodra was linked to familiar motives and underlying agendas, as well as certain predispositions and tendencies. He noted that the opening of consular missions is usually based on the presence of a considerable number of citizens of the sending country.

Hasani also referred to historical sensitivities related to Serbia’s attempts to occupy Shkodra. According to him, such a consulate is unnecessary because Serbia already has its embassy in Tirana, while the initiative, in his assessment, reflects other political and diplomatic objectives and other aims.

Unlike his position on Shkodra, the analyst described the opening of an Albanian Consulate General in Bujanoc for the Albanians of Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegjë as long overdue. However, he called for the mission not to remain merely symbolic, but to serve as the starting point for a new strategic policy.

According to Hasani, a diplomatic presence should not be viewed as the conclusion of a process and is not sufficient in itself. He said it should be accompanied by coordinated, clear and long-term policies aimed at protecting and advancing the rights of Albanians in Serbia.

He considers the consulate extraordinarily important, particularly in light of the challenges of survival and preserving the Albanian national fabric. According to him, this presence should help safeguard the sacrifice and contribution of the armed struggle, as well as elevate the issue to the highest level of internationalization.

Hasani said that the Albanian motherland has a moral, national and constitutional obligation to formulate a clear, fair, objective and institutional position. He called on the Republic of Albania to adopt such a position on the March 1-2, 1992 Referendum; the armed uprising of the UÇPMB, which, according to him, defended the graves of the ancestors, the home, dignity and identity of this region; and the Konçul Agreement.

He also expects support and concrete steps from the Albanian motherland toward establishing a liaison office in Tirana, which he considers more than necessary. In addition, Hasani called on Tirana to advocate and lobby within the highest bodies and mechanisms of the EU and the UN.

According to the analyst, the Albanian motherland can best protect the “Albanian spirit” precisely in this region, which consists of an indigenous ethnic group. He views such engagement as a contribution toward ensuring a safer and brighter future for Albanians everywhere.

Referring to Kosovo’s role, Hasani said the relevant institutions have the ability to respond in accordance with international law, based on the legal instruments, conventions and treaties governing such matters.

He added that the political parties represented in Parliament could also address the opening of the Serbian consulate in Shkodra through institutional channels by presenting facts and evidence. In this way, he said, the matter could be referred to the relevant bodies, including those at the international level.

In conclusion, Hasani called on Albania to first open the Albanian Consulate General in Bujanoc. He insisted that under no circumstances should this step depend on the establishment of a Serbian consulate in Shkodra.

To support this position, the analyst stressed that more than 95% of Presheva’s population is ethnically Albanian and indigenous, while in Bujanoc the figure exceeds 62%. Only in Medvegjë, according to him, does the indigenous ethnic Albanian population account for less than 50%.

Hasani argued that this is a region that should be treated as a single entity, as a unified whole and as an indivisible geographical area. Otherwise, he reiterated, the proposal for a Serbian consulate in Shkodra, where there is no Serbian minority at all, reflects and advances other political and diplomatic objectives and other aims.