ALBANIA PERPLEXED BY MACEDONIA'S PROPOSED VISA

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000027 SIPDIS SIPDIS BELGRADE ALSO FOR PODGORICA E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017 TAGS: PREL NATO AL SUBJECT: ALBANIA PERPLEXED BY MACEDONIA'S PROPOSED VISA REGIME Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES STEPHEN A. CRISTINA, Reasons 1.4 (B) a nd (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: According to Albanian press reports, starting on March 1 Macedonia will require most Albanian citizens to get visas from the Macedonian Embassy in Tirana instead of, as is currently possible, at the border crossing. Macedonia, an EU candidate country, claims the move is the result of pressure by the EU to harmonize its visa regime with EU standards. Reaction by Albanian officials and the press here has been strongly negative, calling the move contrary to the spirit of regional free trade, Euro-Atlantic integration, and the Adriatic Charter. Albanians are particularly concerned with the effects of this decision on the regular movement of people between Albanian border regions and the ethnic Albanian border areas of Macedonia. However, Macedonian Ambassador to Albania Blagorodna Mingova-Krepieva says that the new visa regime and a bilateral treaty being negotiated will have minimal impact on cross-border travel while helping both countries fight trafficking. Separately, Deputy Foreign Minister Edith Harxhi told us the regime to be implemented on March 1 will, instead, be abrogated entirely during an upcoming visit by Prime Minister Berisha to Macedonia at the beginning of February. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) According to MFA sources and the Macedonian Ambassador to Albania, Macedonia will no longer issue visas to Albanian citizens at the border, but will require travelers to obtain visas from the Macedonian Embassy in Tirana. The Albanian MFA asked its Macedonian counterpart to delay the planned February 1 implementation until March 1 to give Albania more time to study the matter. The Macedonians have agreed. According to Macedonian Ambassador to Albania Blagorodna Mingova-Krepieva, the new regime is the result of EU pressure on Macedonia, as a candidate country, to bring its visa regime in line with EU standards. Minister of Foreign Affairs Basha on January 10 told Ambassador Mingova-Krepieva that the new visa regime is contrary to the European and Euro-Atlantic spirit of the region. ¶3. (SBU) Most of Macedonia's ethnic Albanians (over 22% of Macedonia's population) live within 30 miles of the Albanian border. According to the media, 220,000 Albanians made personal or tourist visits to Macedonia in 2006, spending an estimated 44 million euro. With the new visa regime, these travelers will need to present documents such as invitations, financial guarantees, and hotel reservations when they apply for a visa. According to MFA Chief of Cabinet Elvana Zhezha, if the Macedonians go forward with their new requirements, Albania may have to bow to popular pressure and reciprocate, something the MFA would prefer not to do. Press coverage of the proposed new Macedonian regime has been uniformly critical and has implied that the new requirements are nothing more than the result of anti-Albanian prejudice on the part of the Macedonians. ¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Mingova-Krepieva told Poloff that, while there may be some startup problems, she expects the new regime will be working smoothly by this summer. She said that the two countries are working on a bilateral treaty that will ease personal and cargo cross-border traffic and allow border dwellers a wider area of free movement, while tightening control over trafficking. The Macedonian embassy in Tirana currently handles about 43,000 visas per year, and she is adding staff to increase consular capacity. The validity of multiple entry visas will be extended from three months to ONE year, and official, scientific, and cultural delegations will still be able to get visas at the border, as will those traveling for HEALTH and humanitarian reasons. Tour agencies will be able to get visas for their tour participants. Fees will remain unchanged at five euro for single-entry and 20 euro for multiple-entry visas. ¶5. (C) Deputy Foreign Minister Edith Harxhi told us on January 11, however, that the whole issue was a "badly-handled misunderstanding." Harxhi said she had been negotiating with the Macedonians to drop visa requirements altogether, as had already been negotiated with Montenegro. During her absence on holiday leave, however, things got confused. Now, she said, they are back in negotiations and Prime Minister Berisha will go to Macedonia on February 1 or ¶2. (Note: This visit has apparently not been confirmed.) During his visit, Harxhi believes there will be an announcement to drop visa requirements altogether. ¶6. (C) COMMENT: Clearly there is a disconnect between the Macedonian Ambassador's claim and the reporting in the local media that the regime will go into effect on March 1 and Harxhi's understanding that it will be abolished. We will try to confirm the PM's visit when Harxhi returns from travel. CRISTINA