“Diplomatic passports of the Albanian National Team are valid until June 30. MEFA will review the DCM to enable the inclusion of our national team players in the list of categories that benefit from holding this document”.

Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Agron Tare, in an interview, has explained in detail everything about the misinterpretation of the issue of diplomatic passports of the players of the Albanian National Team.

He explained that our national team currently has a valid diplomatic passport. The misinterpretation is related to a letter that the Albanian Football Federation addressed to MEFA and the only one inaccuracy in the response of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is in the last paragraph where it says: “You have to give back the passport.”

According to the Deputy Minister Tare, National players have been in contact with the competent authorities and have been aware of the DCM about the reform for the issuance of diplomatic and service passports dating back to 2019, in order to strengthen the documents and improve the image of the state.

Deputy Minister Tare explained that the DCM on the issuance of diplomatic and service passports dates back to 1997 and therefore it was deemed necessary in December 2019 to carry out a reform that included several addenda which included a category of people who for some reason, or another, were provided with this document. This year, the validity period of some categories was extended, including football players. In the DCM, it was considered appropriate that the categories that can obtain diplomatic passports are defined in the constitution.

According to Deputy Minister Tare, the passports of the National Team players are valid until June 30. An article of the DCM specifies that it is at the discretion and decision of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to assess certain categories to enjoy the right to hold a diplomatic passport and this will be decided on June 30. Thus, the possibility for this category to have a diplomatic passport will be reviewed”.

Tare explains that, “The President and the Secretary General of the AFF have been informed about this reform of the DCM which has nothing to do with removing the passports of football players, but with the strengthening of the administration and the image of the Albanian state.”

According to Deputy Minister Tare, this is an issue that the AFF has been in constant communication with the MEFA for two years. He stressed that we are dealing with the strengthening of the documents of the Albanian state and not at all with the lack of gratitude for the footballers that in fact, continues to be at the same level as before. “The Government’s attention to sport proves this,” said Tare.

“The decision taken by the government in 2019, to limit the number of diplomatic and service passports, is very fair and the only category that deserves an exception from this restriction, are the National football players. MEFA will review this opportunity”, stressed Deputy Minister Tare.