Minxhozi: The stop was made not just for Kosovars, but for all buses stopping on the road

Minxhozi explained to Gazeta Express that this ban was made not only for Kosovars but for all buses stopping on the road to bring down their passengers, including companies travelling from Tirana to Durres Beach.

And that's because of the toll being caused in communications, but also because construction is being done on the “independence <x1.

There has been a week since the Durres Beach, stops were made for tourist buses travelling from Kosovo, with the decision of the Durres Community. The coastal city municipality has decided not to allow buses to cross and stop on the “Independence” street with the reason it is creating chaos in traffic.

It was reported that this ban was made only for buses travelling from Kosovo to Durres Beach, which sparked numerous controversy and was called discrimination against Kosovars.

Albania's ambassador to Kosovo, Kemal Minxhozi, in an interview for Gazeta Express, has said it was caused because there has been no communication between tourist companies and local Durres authorities.

The “do not stop only the buses coming from Kosovo, but stop all buses coming from Tirana to the beach in Durres. Neither are Kosovo buses allowed, but the buses of Albanian firms/companies, coming mainly from Tirana to Durres Beach, which are in the same number as those from Kosovo”, Ambassador Minxhozi has said.

However, he made it clear that this road is under construction and it is impossible to manage for passing buses and stop in that area.

The Albanian ambassador said that only from Kosovo are 35 buses travelling daily to Durres Beach.

Minxhozi said that within two days there is expected to be a meeting between Durres Chairman Vangjush Dako and the tourist agencies where it will be discussed to find a solution.

“has been offered to use the secondary route of Durres Beach, which could lead to destination tourists coming from Kosovo, however, so far I see there has been no communication between tourist companies and local Durres authorities, but this will happen within two days”, Minxhozi told Express.

The ambassador reiterated that this ban is not discrimination against Kosovars.

“is not discrimination only against Kosovars, it is a discrimination because of the conditions that have been created, however, it is likely to find an exit, with talks. If we will use this term, then there is discrimination also against Tirana vacationers who go with the same number of buses from Tirana to Durres”, he said.

Minxhozi explained that only buses traveling from Rinasto Airport in Albania to the Durres hotels, which are few in number, do not stop on the road to exit passengers, so these buses are not forbidden access to the Durres Beach road.

“These stops are designed to increase the safety rate of vacationers from Kosovo, only in the Durres Beach area”, the Albanian ambassador said, as more than 50 .000 vacationers travel from Kosovo to the summer season in Durres Beach.

However, I add that today, from Velipoja Albania to Saranda, there are about 350 over 400 thousand vacationers from Kosovo, and we have no problems either in Velipoj or in Shengjina, Vlora or Saranda, where Kosovo vacationers are. Not only Kosovo buses are reportedly stopped, but any bus is prohibited from stopping on the road because of construction. However, those buses that have parking lots on Durres Beach territory are not harassed by this”, the ambassador explained.

Hence, he said that this issue should be taken easy to find a lasting solution at a time when tourism is approaching peak.

This decision by the Durres municipality has been taken in co-operation with the road police and the Road Directorate and the Durres Prefecture Experts. Also, Ambassador Minxhozi said that during today he met with two tourism companies from Kosovo that travel to Durres on the same issue.