Two versions of the same meeting/ What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hiding about the Serbian consulate in Shkodra?

The statement by Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric that an agreement in principle has been reached to open a Serbian Consulate in Shkodra has sparked debate in Albania.

But beyond the numerous reactions, especially from the opposition, what stands out is the discrepancy between the way Tirana and Belgrade have presented the meetings between the two Foreign Ministers over the past few months.

On the one hand, the Serbian side openly talks about an agreement in principle for the exchange of consulates, while on the other hand, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in Tirana has not publicly mentioned the possibility of opening a Serbian consulate in Shkodra.

More specifically:

First meeting, April 18, 2026

The first meeting between Albanian Minister Ferit Hoxha and Serbian counterpart Marko Djuric took place on April 18, 2026, within the framework of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.

In a statement released by the Albanian Ministry, Hoxha announced that he welcomed Serbia's readiness to respond positively to Albania's request to open a Consulate General in Bujanovac. The statement focuses on regional cooperation, the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and economic relations, but does not mention a Serbian consulate in Shkodra.

Even the Serbian Foreign Ministry's statement on the meeting does not mention an agreement on consulates. It focuses on strengthening bilateral relations, European integration, and Albania's participation in Expo 2027 in Belgrade.

Second meeting, July 17, 2026
The two ministers met again on July 17, 2026, in Washington, as part of the ministerial meeting on the fight against political terrorism.

Once again, the Albanian Ministry's statement focused almost entirely on Kosovo. Ferit Hoxha announced that he had reiterated to his Serbian counterpart Albania's opposition to the statements of Serbian ministers on Kosovo and stressed the need to avoid rhetoric that incites tensions in the region. Again, this statement made no reference to the opening of a Serbian consulate in Shkodër.

Just a few days later, during the presentation of the balance sheet of the Serbian Foreign Ministry , Marko Djuric publicly stated that Serbia and Albania had reached an agreement in principle on the opening of a Consulate General of Serbia in Shkodra and a Consulate General of Albania in Bujanovac. According to him, this was part of the expansion of Serbia's diplomatic presence in the region.

This was the first time that the Albanian public officially heard about a Serbian consulate in Shkodra.

Naturally, the question arises, if the Serbian minister's statement is correct, why the Albanian Ministry did not inform public opinion about such an issue.

If there was no such agreement, then it remains to be explained why the Serbian side publicly presented it as a fait accompli.

This discrepancy has caused confusion in Albania, while so far the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has not provided a public clarification on whether or not the opening of a Serbian consulate in Shkodra has been discussed.

Why Shkodra?

According to the 2023 Census data, only a few dozen self-declared Serbian citizens live in the Shkodra district, while a large Albanian community lives in the Presevo Valley, for which Albania has long requested a consular presence in Bujanovac.

This is why the opposition considers the idea of ​​a Serbian consulate in Shkodra inexplicable and demands transparency on the negotiations held between the two ministries.

Up to this point, the only thing known for sure is that there are two different versions of the same diplomatic process.