Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, has reacted to the debate created over the possibility of opening a Serbian consulate in Shkodra, clarifying that the process is part of a reciprocal agreement, through which Albania aims to open a Consulate General in the Presheva Valley.
According to Hoxha, Tirana has long requested a permanent consular presence in Presheva, while Serbia has submitted a request to open a consulate in Shkodra. He emphasizes that the procedures will only proceed if both sides agree on all aspects of the agreement.
"Albania has requested the opening of a Consulate General of the Republic of Albania in the Presheva Valley. Serbia, for its part, has requested the opening of a Consulate General in Shkodra. If and when the parties agree on every aspect and detail of this process, the appropriate actions will be taken at the appropriate time," the minister writes.
Hoxha argues that reciprocity is a common principle of diplomatic relations and does not necessarily mean that the two states have the same interests or benefits.
"In consolidated diplomatic practice, reciprocity is a fundamental principle of relations between states and an instrument of foreign policy to advance national interests. It does not necessarily imply equality in content, objectives, or interests of each party."
Hoxha also expresses surprise that the public debate has focused almost entirely on Serbia's potential benefit from opening a consulate in Shkodra, while according to him, what he considers to be Albania's main interest has been left in the background: the creation of a permanent consular presence in the Presheva Valley.
"It is strange, even difficult to understand, that many of the reactions choose to overlook precisely what is essential: the interest of Albania and the concrete benefit that the creation of a permanent Albanian consular presence in the Presheva Valley brings," Hoxha writes in X.
The reaction comes a day after Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric publicly confirmed that the two countries are discussing opening respective consulates in Shkodra and the Presevo Valley. In fact, the idea of an Albanian consulate in Presevo is not new. In April of this year, after meeting with his Serbian counterpart at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, Hoxha announced that he had welcomed Belgrade's readiness to respond positively to Albania's request to open a Consulate General in Bujanovac.
