Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric has responded to Albanian chief diplomat Ferit Hoxha, following concerns raised by Tirana regarding Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s statements on the possibility of changing the course of the Ibar River.
Djuric described Hoxha’s reaction as an attempt to shift attention from what he considers violations of the rights of Serbs in Kosovo.
“What we are seeing is a clear attempt to change the subject and divert attention from the ongoing violations of the fundamental rights of the Serbian people” in Kosovo, Djuric declared.
The Serbian chief diplomat argued that Albania is not a state through which the Ibri River flows, nor part of its water basin, so, according to him, Tirana has no territorial or hydrological basis to claim a role in the way Serbia administers water resources within its territory.
Djuric’s reaction goes further, linking Tirana’s intervention to what he considers a broader political issue in the region.
“There is no place for a Greater Albania, or any other project based on ethnic expansionism and border changes, in the European future of our region,” the Serbian minister declared.
The reaction comes after Hoxha stated that changing the course of a river that is part of a transboundary water system cannot be considered simply an internal issue of Serbia.
The Albanian chief diplomat requested that any project that could affect the flow, quantity or quality of waters affecting Kosovo be accompanied by a transboundary impact assessment and consultations with the affected party.
Djuric also referred to Albania’s recent stances towards Belgrade’s foreign policy, including Serbia’s international contacts.
“The attention is touching, but loudspeaker diplomacy does not serve either of our countries,” he said.
According to the Serbian minister, Tirana and Belgrade should tone down the rhetoric and return to good neighborly relations, based on “mutual respect, sovereign equality and true cooperation.”
Djuric’s full statement on X:
“I have carefully watched Minister Ferit Hoxha’s statement regarding the Ibar River. What we are seeing is a clear attempt to change the subject and divert attention from the ongoing violations of the fundamental rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, about which the Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs remains conspicuously silent. When concern is consistently expressed in only one direction, while the rights and security of an entire ethnic community are ignored, it becomes increasingly difficult for such a selective approach to be considered politically or ethnically neutral.
The Ibar River does not flow through Albania, and Albania is not a riparian state in its basin. For this reason, Albania has no territorial or hydrological basis to claim a role in determining how Serbia manages water resources within its territory, in accordance with its Constitution, laws and international obligations. Tirana’s decision to intervene in this matter, while ignoring the systematic pressure on the Serbian population and attacks on Serbian property, inevitably raises questions about the political motives for this intervention. It also revives legitimate concerns about well-known regional concepts that aim to treat Serbia’s territory and resources as part of a broader Albanian political sphere.
I also want to be clear: there is no place for a Greater Albania, or any other project based on ethnic expansion and border changes, in the European future of our region. What we need is not the creation of new or larger nation-states, but a region where borders gradually lose their power to divide us; a region open to people, trade, cooperation and shared prosperity, while fully respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each state.
Serbia is a sovereign state and will decide for itself how to manage its natural resources. Albania will not make these decisions, nor will anyone else outside Serbia.
We will continue to defend the rights of our people, the integrity of our territory, and our legitimate national interests. Attempts to divert attention from the situation on the ground or to claim a role in matters that are not within Albania’s jurisdiction will not succeed.
“In addition, we have also noticed Albania’s recent interest in how Serbia conducts its foreign policy, including who we meet and why, accompanied by an unnecessary dose of contempt. The attention is touching, but megaphone diplomacy does not serve either of our countries. It would be wiser to tone down the rhetoric and return to the only path that can build a better future for our region: good neighborly relations, based on mutual respect, sovereign equality and sincere cooperation.”