Albania and Serbia agree to open reciprocal consulates in Shkodër and Bujanoc

Albania and Serbia have reached a principle agreement to open a Serbian consulate in Shkodër and an Albanian consulate in the Bujanoc area of the Presheva Valley. The deal was announced by Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Gjurić during a meeting with Albanian Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha. Both ministers said the arrangement respects international law and does not affect Albania’s support for Kosovo’s independence.

The proposal has sparked debate in Albania and Kosovo. Journalists such as Lis Bukuroca and Blendi Fevziu argue that the reciprocity principle is not met – Shkodër has only about 560 self‑declared Serbs, while the Presheva Valley hosts roughly 57 000 ethnic Albanians. They cite the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which requires a sizable community or significant economic, cultural or strategic interests, none of which they say exist for a Serbian consulate in Shkodër. Albanian officials counter that the move will improve services for Albanians living outside Albania’s borders and that the consular presence does not compromise Albanian sovereignty.