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Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Friday he was undecided whether his Albanian counterpart should hold a planned historic visit after violence halted a football match between Serbia and Albania this week.
Vucic told state television RTS that he would decide by the end of the week whether he would allow Edi Rama to visit on October 22, the first such trip by an Albanian Prime Minister to Serbia in 68 years.
Albania’s Deputy Prime Minister Niko Peleshi had previously informed AFP on Friday that “Rama has confirmed that he has decided to travel to Belgrade”.
The visit would hardly last a week after a qualifying match for the Euro 2016 in the Serbian capital had to be canceled on Tuesday evening after a drone with a pro-Albanian flag over the stadium sparked fighting between the two teams.
– ‘Provocation’ –
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic during a press conference in Belgrade on August 22, 2014
Andrej Isakovic, AFP / file
The Serbian leaders had called the incident a planned “political provocation”.
The governing body of European football, UEFA, has opened a formal investigation into both Serbia and Albania into the violence on and off the field for which both countries hold each other responsible.
The Serbian Interior Ministry accused Rama’s brother of controlling the drone from his place in the stadium’s executive box.
But the brother, an economist named Olsi Rama, who later returned to Tirana with the Albanian team to greet a hero, denied the claims.
“I was neither arrested nor imprisoned. When the incident occurred, the situation became chaotic and the police checked everyone.”
Meanwhile, Vucic told Serbian state television RTS that he “pretended that Albanian officials did not know what this was about, since everything that happened started with that shameful flag of a” Greater Albania “.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (L) during the World Economic Forum in Tianjin on September 10, 2014
Wang Zhao, Pool / AFP / FILE
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, he said, adding that “many will not be happy with the results”.
The Serbian authorities will present “indisputable facts” about the incident as well as their “very serious planning aimed at humiliating Serbia and provoking unrest,” Vucic said.
The Albanian Deputy Prime Minister argued that Tirana’s position on Rama’s visit remained the same and that it should take place “despite the disappointment caused by the incidents and reactions of Serbian officials”.
“This visit is in the interests of our two countries, but of course the Serbian part has to confirm its commitment and will to ensure that it goes smoothly.”
– Got into the trap of violence? – –
Football fans kiss the Albanian flag as they protest near the Serbian embassy in Tirana on October 16, 2014
Gent Shkullaku, AFP / file
A spokesman for the Albanian Foreign Ministry said earlier on Friday that Tirana was continuing preparations for Rama’s visit.
“Albania has chosen not to fall into the trap of violence that characterized the football game,” said spokesman Glevi Dervisihi.
Rama’s visit was made possible by improved relations between Serbia and its former province of Kosovo, which was mostly populated by ethnic Albanians.
Despite opposition from Belgrade, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008.
The agreement between Belgrade and Pristina on the normalization of relations of April 2013 was brokered by the European Union. The former enemies as well as Albania hope to join the bloc.
Relations between Tirana and Belgrade have been sensitive to Kosovo and the ethnic Albanian minority in southern Serbia, which often requires more autonomy.
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Friday he was undecided whether his Albanian counterpart should hold a planned historic visit after violence halted a football match between Serbia and Albania this week.
Vucic told state television RTS that he would decide by the end of the week whether he would allow Edi Rama to visit on October 22nd – the first such trip by an Albanian Prime Minister to Serbia in 68 years.
Albania’s Deputy Prime Minister Niko Peleshi had previously informed AFP on Friday that “Rama has confirmed that he has decided to travel to Belgrade”.
The visit would hardly last a week after a qualifying match for the Euro 2016 in the Serbian capital had to be canceled on Tuesday evening after a drone with a pro-Albanian flag over the stadium sparked fighting between the two teams.
– ‘Provocation’ –
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic during a press conference in Belgrade on August 22, 2014
Andrej Isakovic, AFP / file
The Serbian leaders had called the incident a planned “political provocation”.
The governing body of European football, UEFA, has opened a formal investigation into both Serbia and Albania into the violence on and off the field for which both countries hold each other responsible.
The Serbian Interior Ministry accused Rama’s brother of controlling the drone from his place in the stadium’s executive box.
But the brother, an economist named Olsi Rama, who later returned to Tirana with the Albanian team to greet a hero, denied the claims.
“I was neither arrested nor imprisoned. When the incident occurred, the situation became chaotic. The police checked everyone. ”
Meanwhile, Vucic told Serbian state television RTS that he “pretended to Albanian officials that they didn’t know what this was about since everything that happened started with that shameful flag of a” Greater Albania “.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (L) during the World Economic Forum in Tianjin on September 10, 2014
Wang Zhao, Pool / AFP / FILE
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, he said, adding that “many will not be happy with the results”.
The Serbian authorities will present “indisputable facts” about the incident as well as their “very serious planning aimed at humiliating Serbia and provoking unrest,” Vucic said.
The Albanian Deputy Prime Minister argued that Tirana’s position on Rama’s visit remained the same and that it should take place “despite the disappointment caused by the incidents and reactions of Serbian officials”.
“This visit is in the interests of our two countries, but it is of course up to the Serbian part to confirm their commitment and will to ensure that it goes smoothly.”
– Got into the trap of violence? – –
Football fans kiss the Albanian flag as they protest near the Serbian embassy in Tirana on October 16, 2014
Gent Shkullaku, AFP / file
A spokesman for the Albanian Foreign Ministry said earlier on Friday that Tirana was continuing preparations for Rama’s visit.
“Albania has chosen not to fall into the trap of violence that characterized the football game,” said spokesman Glevi Dervisihi.
Rama’s visit was made possible by improved relations between Serbia and its former province of Kosovo, which was mostly populated by ethnic Albanians.
Despite opposition from Belgrade, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008.
The agreement between Belgrade and Pristina on the normalization of relations of April 2013 was brokered by the European Union. The former enemies as well as Albania hope to join the bloc.
Relations between Tirana and Belgrade have been sensitive to Kosovo and the ethnic Albanian minority in southern Serbia, which often requires more autonomy.
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