BELGRADE – Albanian Ambassador in Belgrade Ilir Bocka said on Thursday evening that an effort is being made to go through with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s visit to Belgrade, scheduled for October 22, and voiced confidence that the Albanian side was not behind the recent incident with a ‘Greater Albania’ map.
Bocka also noted that the Serbian authorities should unequivocally condemn the extremist behavior during the match between the national teams of Serbia and Albania in Belgrade on Tuesday.
The latest information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Albania says the things are developing toward the realization of Rama’s visit, Bocka told reporters at the Albanian Embassy.
He noted that the incidents at the Serbia-Albania match did complicate the atmosphere, but underscored that it would be unproductive for cooperation between the two countries that a vacuum in relations is created after every incident, forcing them to start from scratch, and that both sides should demonstrate the capability to overcome the incidents.
Asked whether he or Tirana condemns the appearance of the banner with a ‘Greater Albania’ map in the stadium in Belgrade, Bocka avoided a clear answer, saying that he condemns all anti-sport aspects which began even before the match.
We strongly condemn the violence and low provocations, as well as the media disinformation, which are contrary to sport principles and good neighborly relations, Bocka said.
Hospitality, a highly cherished value for all Balkan peoples, was this time trampled on as never before in the atmosphere unworthy of a sporting event.
As for the ‘Greater Albania’ map, he underlined that there is no either greater or small Albania in the program of the Albanian government, but just Albania.
Speaking about the protest note that was delivered to him at the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday because of, among other things, his improper personal engagement in allowing a larger number of Albanian citizens to pass through Belgrade Airport, contrary to the agreement reached between UEFA and national football associations, Bocka described the demarche as strange.
He said that he happened to be at the airport that day because he welcomed a group of his friends whom he personally invited to the match, about which he had previously informed the Football Association of Serbia (FSS), which provided him with the tickets.
The European championship qualifier between Serbia and Albania in Belgrade on Tuesday was abandoned after a brawl that followed the appearance of a drone with a banner depicting the so called Greater Albania, a nationalist project that would include parts of Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Greece.
No official in Pristina and Tirana condemned this political provocation. Quite the contrary, Albanian football players were welcomed as heroes, and Albanians in the region celebrated the incident as a national victory.
