Albania reaffirms support for Kosovo’s sovereignty after Zelensky's Serbia remarks

Albania on Sunday reaffirmed its firm support for Kosovo's sovereignty and independence, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv's position on Kosovo remains unchanged during his visit to Serbia.

"Just as Albania stands, and will continue to stand, firmly with Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and European future, we stand equally firmly for Kosovo's sovereignty, independence and rightful place in the Euro-Atlantic family," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Stressing that Kosovo's case stands on its own historical, political and legal foundations, the ministry recalled that at the request of the UN General Assembly, the International Court of Justice was unequivocal, "Kosovo's declaration of independence did not violate international law."

"Any attempt to draw a parallel or establish an equation between Kosovo and any other international situation is wrong, opportunistic and profoundly misleading."

Saying that "Russia's aggression against Ukraine is an "entirely different" matter, the ministry noted that it constitutes a "grave violation" of the UN Charter and international law.

"From Albania's perspective, one principle is fundamental: a peaceful, stable and European Western Balkans requires acceptance of the reality and irreversibility of Kosovo's independence," it said.

The ministry argued that Kosovo independence has contributed to regional stability and is part of a future in which borders are not changed through force, and peoples and communities can determine their future in peace and security.

"We firmly maintain also that Serbia and Kosovo both belong in a common European future," the ministry said, adding the normalisation of their relations, ultimately leading to mutual recognition, would not weaken Serbia.

During his visit to Belgrade on Saturday, Zelensky said that Ukraine's position on Kosovo remains unchanged, and that Kyiv respects Serbia's territorial sovereignty.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade still claims the region, and Ukraine also does not recognize it as an independent nation.