Acting Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Gent Cakaj has revoked the diplomatic registration plates of 38 honorary consuls. Honorary consuls are Albanian citizens representing a variety of foreign countries in Albania outside the career diplomatic system.
According to Acting Minister Cakaj, the Albanian law does not grant honorary consuls a diplomatic registration plate, which allows them to travel in and out of the country with special privileges.
In a public statement, Acting Minister Cakaj said:
“We are talking about Albanian citizens, that we are honored to have as honorary consuls here, known businessmen, various speculators, media owners, or known political analysts, that have been charged in Albania as honorary consuls by various countries from every continent and go around with certain diplomatic privileges in Albania and beyond, just like ambassadors and the accredited corps diplomatique in Albania. […]
In a surprising violation of [the] law, 38 honorary consuls have diplomatic registration plates, which we have among us and enter and leave the borders of this countries not as ordinary citizens, not even as the majority of other state officials, but as the highest international diplomatic representatives. This special privilege, unique in Europe and perhaps even further, is unjustifiable and has to end.”
There are currently 48 honorary consuls stationed in Albania, representing 45 countries.
