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Debate on the Ibar River / Gjuric responds to Rama: Albania has no right to intervene, let's leave diplomacy through loudspeakers behind

2026-08-11 10:26:14Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Debate on the Ibar River / Gjuric responds to Rama: Albania has no right to
Rama and Djuric

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric has responded to Prime Minister Edi Rama's statements regarding the Ibar River and developments in northern Kosovo, accusing Albin Kurti's government of "systematic destruction" of Serb property.

In a lengthy reaction on the social network X, Djuric describes the discussion on the Ibar River as an attempt to shift attention from what he considers the "concrete reality" on the ground.

The Serbian Foreign Minister argues that Albania does not have the status of a riparian state of the Ibar and that issues related to this waterway should be addressed by the parties directly concerned.

Djuric also recalls Belgrade's position on Kosovo, referring to the Serbian Constitution, international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1244. He demands from Tirana that support for the Serbian community in Kosovo be accompanied by concrete actions.

At the end of the reaction, the Serbian minister suggests to Rama and the Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferid Hoxha, to leave behind "diplomacy through loudspeakers" and focus on concrete cooperation between Albanians and Serbs.

Marko Djuric's full status:

“An elaborate summer attempt to change the subject.

In fact, we are discussing the Ibar River for one reason only: Albin Kurti's government is using this summer to demolish Serb homes, without due legal procedure, along the shores of Lake Gazivoda and Ibar, depriving people of their property, access, and livelihoods through actions that are blatantly discriminatory on ethnic grounds.

This is the concrete reality. Everything else is secondary.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has written a long and elegant text about European geography, history, and values. What he has chosen not to address is the systematic destruction of Serb property that is happening right now.

Since geography has been mentioned: the Ibri originates in Montenegro, flows through Serbia, including Kosovo, and continues through the Danube basin towards the Black Sea. It never enters Albania and is not part of the Albanian river system.

The Ibri is a transboundary watercourse, but Albania is not a riparian state of this river. International water law does not grant rights to riparian states on the basis of ethnic proximity. Any legitimate concerns should be addressed by the parties directly concerned, through established mechanisms and on the basis of facts, and not through public statements from capitals that are not part of riparian states.

Serbia's position on Kosovo is not folklore. It is based on our Constitution, international law, and UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Albania may disagree, but it cannot unilaterally declare the issue resolved.

I welcome Prime Minister Rama's recognition that the rights and security of the Serb community in Kosovo matter. We now expect this recognition to be accompanied by practical support – starting with a clear call to end the demolition of Serb homes and similar actions by the Kurti government, as well as to establish the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities, an obligation that has not yet been fulfilled.

Let me respectfully suggest to Prime Minister Rama and Minister Ferit Hoxha that, while interesting, we leave behind diplomacy over loudspeakers. Our doors and phone lines remain open. Our people seriously deserve fewer exchanges of statements and more concrete examples of what Serbs and Albanians can achieve together.

PS This whole exchange is not surprising at all. Let's surprise everyone in a positive way, by finding more ways to work beyond our differences.”

Marko Gjuric's reaction comes a day after Prime Minister Edi Rama's statements about the Ibar River and Serbia's position towards Kosovo.

Rama, in a reaction on the X network, described the debate between the Foreign Ministers of Albania and Serbia as a "very interesting summer exchange", arguing that the discussion had moved away from the issue of the Ibar River and had moved on to "Greater Albania", Kosovo and history.

The Albanian Prime Minister stressed that Albania has no territorial claims against Serbia and that it does not need the idea of ​​a “Greater Albania” to support Kosovo. According to him, Kosovo is a sovereign state and the Albanians of Kosovo have the right to decide for themselves about their future.

Returning to the Ibar issue, Rama said that the river is a transboundary water system and that Serbia can manage the resources within its jurisdiction, but cannot ignore the potential consequences of its actions towards another state. He argued that this is precisely why international water law exists.

Rama also stated that the rights, security, property, language and cultural heritage of the Serbian community in Kosovo must be protected.

In conclusion, the Prime Minister stated that Albania wants good neighborly relations with Serbia and that the entire region, including Serbia, be part of Europe. However, according to him, good neighborliness cannot mean that the countries of the region live forever according to each other's versions of history.

Rama closed his reaction by returning to the metaphor of the Ibar, saying that the river will continue to flow "according to geography and not according to folklore."


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