The Albanian government has allowed a Kosovo politician to enter the country from Switzerland in possible violation of measures against the spread of coronavirus.
Leader of AKR party and MP Behgjet Pacolli has landed in Tirana airport on Tuesday with his private jet. He is staying at his private home in the capital.
Albania has closed borders and banned all flights to the country. Albanian residents entering from land borders are required to quarantine themselves under police surveillance in hotels designated by the government.
The government has allowed Pacolli under unclear circumstances to forego these measures, namely allowing his private jet to land, and letting him stay at home instead of being taken to a designated hotel for 14 days of quarantine.
On Tuesday, Pacolli cancelled his flight to Kosovo after authorities there refused to let him evade quarantine rules.
Pacolli was headed back to the country to negotiate a governing coalition agreement with the second largest party LDK.
President Hashim Thaçi decided to sidestep the election winner Vetevendosje (LVV) and pushed for a new government after the Kurti Government was ousted in a no-confidence vote.
Kosovo media Kallxo reported that President Thaçi went to Albania yesterday in an unannounced visit, and questioned whether this was related to Pacolli’s arrival.
An advisor of Pacolli stated that he spent last night in his residence in Tirana.
Pacolli, a wealthy businessman, leads the AKR party which has two MPs in the Kosovo parliament. He was the country foreign minister in the previous government of Ramush Haradinaj.
The Albanian government has been very strict to date with implementing lockdown measures taken under the state of emergency. It left dozens of Albanian emigrants returning from Greece out in the cold for several days at the closed Albanian border. The government then decided that those who resided in Albanian could enter the country but had to undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days in hotels, and under police surveillance. In addition, they had to cover the cost themselves.
The government has not clarified the double standard used in the case of Kosovo politician Behgjet Pacolli.
