Albanian Premier Edi Rama and his Kosovar counterpart Albin Kurti had a small incident during the joint press conference in Tirana today. Kurti spoke about an “Albanian macro-Schengen” as opposed to Rama’s Balkanic mini-Schengen project. With e clear irritation, Rama said no Albanian macro-Schengen can exist without a Balkanic mini-Schengen first.

Asked by media reporters whether Kosovo will participate in the mini-Schengen project, an idea of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and backed by Rama, Kurti, who is visiting Albania for the first time in the capacity of Prime Minister, said: “This is our first meeting, there are many topics to be discussed in the future. We talked about, but only briefly, so let’s say our first meeting was more about an Albanian macro-Schengen rather than the Balkanic mini-Schengen”.

Rama said: “We have discussed it before, but I don’t believe there is an Albanian macro-Schengen without a Balkanic mini-Schengen first, for which I don’t know who named it like this. We are consistent in the continuity of the Berlin Process, harmonized in our acts and opening a road that has been closed during the years aiming to have a shared space between the two countries: Free movement not only of the goods but of people too, due to the resistance not only from Serbia but from other countries too”.

“I have broken this resistance already so let’s not waste time, because neither Serbia nor the other countries can say we are establishing the Greater Albania”.