TIRANA (Albania), May 14 (SeeNews) – Albania’s government has decided to abolish work permits for ethnic Albanians from North Macedonia and Montenegro, aiming to strengthen ties with the Albanian diaspora in the region, it said.
Ethnic Albanians from North Macedonia and Montenegro will enjoy the same right of employment in Albania as locals if they reside in the country, the government said in a statement last week.
Acting foreign minister Gent Cakaj said in a Facebook post on Monday that the decision gives ethnic Albanians from Montenegro and North Macedonia the same rights to work in Albania as ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and Serbia’s Presevo Valley area.
This decision is part of the government's plan to liberalise Albania's labour market for all ethnic Albanians, Cakaj added.
“Although it may seem like a move without immediate influence or sounds like a completely symbolic initiative, this is a necessary step towards enhancing Albania's ties with Albanians in the neighboring countries," he noted.
In 2014, Albania decided to scrap work permits for ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and Serbia’s Presevo Valley area.