Gent Cakaj

In a conversation with daily "Danas", he points out that Albanians from the Presevo Valley want to be an active participant in the talks on the status of Kosovo.

Albanian Acting Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gent Cakaj said he had proposed to Pristina to launch a campaign to recognize the unilaterally declared Kosovo state through joint funding.

Acting Foreign Minister of Albania Gent Cakaj, December 13, 2019. Photo: LSA

Cakaj said both has been declared "persona non grata for conducting activities not related to their status and to the principles of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations". They had been requested to leave Albania immediately, Cakaj added.

"Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama had an essential condition that will not be subject to negotiations, which is that if Kosovo is excluded from the newly established co-operation, Albania will immediately withdraw", Cakaj said in an interview with KTV.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Photo: EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC

The rift between Albania's ruling Socialist Party and President Ilir Meta widened on Sunday after Prime Minister Edi Rama accused Meta of acting as the head of the opposition - after he urged the government to cancel a project to demolish homes to make way for a new stretch of road in the capital. 

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday said he would take over the position of Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, following a row with President Ilir Meta on the nomination of Gent Cakaj as the new minister.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Twitter on Thursday condemned President Ilir Meta's refusal to endorse his nominee Gent Cakaj as new foreign minister, calling it "not just unconstitutional but also shameful".

He also issued an apology to Kosovo "about this shame", as Cakaj has citizenship of both Kosovo and Albania.