Albania against idea of exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia

For one thing, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Labour's official statement clearly shows that Tirana sees the Valley as part of Serbia's territory in the future, contrary to how it was spoken during this period of exchange, giving Serbs the north of Kosovo.

The declaration also underlines that, Minister Bushati assured fellow negotiators that the Albanian state will continue to seek from Serbia for the Albanians in the Valley, what they deserve.

Furthermore, the statement specifically refers to the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. In respect to diplomatic style, the Foreign Ministry in Tirana follows with the messages between the lines, when stressing that Minister Bushati has underlined the importance of continuing this dialogue and its “orientation effectively, in clear terms, without equive and balanced, in terms of full implementation of agreements and advancing Kosovo integration processes”, writes Top Channel.

This passage of the declaration shows that Tirana prefers the implementation of existing political agreements between Pristina and Belgrade, part of which is not changing borders.

But it seems that the same message against border change and exchange of territories, Tirana, had expressed it even earlier, in a proposal by Minister Bushati during a visit to the US at the end of last July, which appears to have gone unnoticed.

Bushat is specifically questioned on the issue at the Atlantic Council Forum and comes out against it.

I think this would go against the spirit of all efforts made in the Balkans over the last three decades. It would go against the spirit of Helsinki's Final Act and other international documents of legal value. We must be very careful not to open Pandora's box for other cases in the region”, he would say.