Sunday, May 19, 2024 Albania has made a significant adjustment to its visa policies by partially suspending the visa waiver agreement with Belarus. The decision, enacted on May 15, 2024, by the Council of Ministers upon the recommendation of Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, specifically targets diplomatic and service passports. This move highlights Albania’s geopolitical alignment and its ongoing support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The partial suspension means that Belarusian holders of diplomatic and service passports will now require visas to enter Albania, while the waiver continues to apply to ordinary passport holders. The decision, effective immediately and published in the “Official Gazette,” reflects Albania’s strategic positioning and solidarity with Ukraine against Russian aggression. The visa waiver agreement between Albania and Belarus, originally approved by decision no.
152 on February 19, 2020, facilitated mutual removal of visa requirements. However, recent geopolitical developments, particularly Belarus’s support for Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, have prompted Albania to reconsider this arrangement. Belarus has been a staunch ally of Russia, even allowing the deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory.
This alignment with Moscow has increasingly isolated Belarus on the international stage, compelling countries like Albania to take a firmer stance against it. In April 2023, Albania suspended v.