TIRANA, August 3 – Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha said the opening of a Serbian consulate in Shkodër does not threaten Albania’s sovereignty. He also said Albania’s plan to open a consular office in Bujanoc serves the country’s national interest.
In an interview with Top Channel TV, Hoxha said no country would allow a diplomatic mission that threatens its interests. He explained that a consulate does not grant the sending state authority or sovereignty over the city or territory where it operates. He added that Albania regulates every diplomatic mission under international law and Albanian legislation.
Meanwhile, Hoxha said Albania has long sought a diplomatic presence in Bujanoc. He stressed that diplomatic engagement with Serbia does not change Albania’s support for Kosova. He said Albania’s position on Kosova’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic future remains clear and unchanged.
In addition, the minister said a consular office in the Presheva Valley would bring Albanian institutions closer to Albanians living there. He argued that critics have focused more on Serbia’s presumed interests than on the practical benefits for the Albanian community.
Hoxha also rejected calls for Albania to open a consulate in Serbia without allowing Serbia to do the same in Albania. He said diplomacy relies on reciprocity and realistic solutions. He added that governments establish consulates for economic, cultural, tourism and strategic reasons, not only because of population size.
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