TIRANA, August 21 – Albania’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has expressed regret over the omission of the Albanian national anthem at a cultural event in Pustec on Thursday. North Macedonia’s Prime Minister and the Mayor of Pustec attended the event, where organizers played only the North Macedonian anthem.

The ministry said a local association organized the event. However, the participation of senior institutional representatives and local elected officials gave it a special public dimension.

According to the ministry, organizers should have included the Albanian anthem alongside the anthem of North Macedonia. It described the omission as a serious breach of written and unwritten rules of courtesy and protocol.

Meanwhile, the ministry said respect for national symbols should not become a political issue or a matter of interpretation. It described that respect as part of institutional ethics, protocol and mutual respect, particularly in areas where different communities and identities coexist.

The ministry added that respect for national symbols in Pustec, as in every part of Albania, also reflects respect for citizens and democratic coexistence. It said this principle also supports good-neighbourly relations between the people and institutions of Albania and North Macedonia.

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