Hoxha: Opening a Serbian consulate in Shkoder does not undermine Albania's sovereignty; Albania's presence in Bujanovac serves the national interest

Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha stated that the opening of a Serbian Consulate General in Shkoder does not undermine Albania's sovereignty, emphasizing that reciprocity is a fundamental principle of diplomacy.

Following the public debate sparked by Serbia's and Albania's agreement to open consulates in Shkoder and Bujanovac, Hoxha said in an interview with Top Channel that he remained committed to the diplomatic initiative.

He stressed that no country would permit a diplomatic presence that threatened or undermined its own interests.

"The opening of a consulate does not grant the sending state any authority, let alone any sovereignty, over the city, territory, or population where it is located. The location, status, jurisdiction, and operation of every diplomatic mission on the territory of the Republic of Albania are regulated in accordance with international law, as well as Albanian laws and regulations," the minister said.

According to Hoxha, Albania's request to open a diplomatic mission in Bujanovac has been a long-standing objective of the country's foreign policy. He argued that diplomatic engagement with Serbia in no way alters Albania's position or support regarding Kosovo.

"Diplomatic engagement with Serbia does not, under any circumstances, signify insensitivity toward Kosovo, nor does it in any way relativize Belgrade's policy toward it. Albania's position on Kosovo's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, statehood, development, and Euro-Atlantic future, as well as the Albanian state's unwavering support, has always been and remains clear, consistent, and unchanged. Fortunately, there have also been those who have calmly and objectively analyzed the historical and geopolitical context, asking the only question that truly matters—whether this step serves Albania's national interest or not," Hoxha said.

He added that Albania's request to open a Consulate General in Bujanovac is neither a new idea nor a reaction to current events.

"It has long been one of the objectives of our foreign policy, consistently advocated by the political representatives of Albanians in Serbia and continuously supported by Albanian institutions. If there is any criticism to be made, it is only that this step should have been taken much earlier," the minister said.

According to Hoxha, he made the initiative one of his priorities from the first day of taking office.

"It was my first request in all contacts with Serbian representatives, including the Serbian Foreign Minister. Even at our first meeting in April, held in Antalya at my request, the main topic of discussion was precisely the opening of the Albanian Consulate General in Bujanovac," he said.

He argued that such an agreement would enable the Albanian state to be closer to Albanians living beyond its borders and stressed that the key issue in the debate should have been what Albania stands to gain from opening a consulate in Bujanovac.

According to him, the public debate had instead focused disproportionately on Serbia's alleged interests rather than on the concrete interests of Albanians.

"Anyone who claims that Albania should open a consulate in Serbia while refusing to accept that Serbia should enjoy the same opportunity in Albania is not offering a realistic solution but speaking in abstract terms. Such an approach may sound patriotic on social media, but it produces no tangible results for Albanians in the Presevo Valley. At best, it demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of how diplomacy and interstate relations function. At worst, it represents a deliberate attempt to prevent the realization of an objective that directly serves Albania's national interest," Hoxha said.

The minister explained that the size of a country's diaspora is not the sole criterion for opening consulates, noting that such decisions are also based on economic, cultural, tourism, and strategic considerations. In doing so, he rejected comparisons between Albanians in the Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja and Serbs living in Shkoder.

"My responsibility is to protect Albania's interests. Serbia, like any other country, does the same for its own interests. It does not determine our interests, nor do we determine Serbia's. We do not equate the position of Albanians in the Presevo Valley with that of Albanian citizens of Serbian ethnicity living in the Shkoder District. On the contrary, the numerical disparity alone clearly demonstrates where the genuine and practical interest lies," Ferit Hoxha emphasized.

Asked whether this diplomatic initiative changes Albania's approach toward Kosovo, Hoxha rejected the suggestion.

"The answer is straightforward: not at all. Diplomatic engagement with Serbia does not, under any circumstances, signify insensitivity toward Kosovo, nor does it in any way relativize Belgrade's policy toward it. Albania's position on Kosovo's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, statehood, development, and Euro-Atlantic future, together with the Albanian state's unwavering support, has always been and remains clear, consistent, and unchanged. Dialogue and relations with Serbia do not mean that Albania approves of Serbia's policy toward Kosovo. Diplomacy does not function through isolation, but through the ability to communicate, negotiate, and advance the country's interests even under difficult circumstances," the Albanian minister concluded.