Ferit Hoxha was forced to make a public clarification just a few hours after he told Euroactiv that the agreement with Italy for the Gjadri camp "is for five years" and that "I am not sure there will be an extension."
The statement was immediately interpreted in the media of both countries as a signal that Tirana does not consider the agreement on the migrant camp in Gjadra permanent. But later in the day, the Foreign Minister tried to correct the effect of his statement, saying that he had not announced any political decision and that he had simply made a hypothetical reflection on an Albania that by then could be part of the European Union.
For a few hours, everyone thought the agreement had a deadline. But then, explanations began to emerge that there had been a mistake in translation.
After the uproar, Minister Hoxha was also helped by Edi Rama, who publicly guaranteed that Albania's position has not changed and that the protocol with Italy "will continue as long as Italy wants it."
In the end, the first statement remained a statement, the clarification remained a clarification, and everyone had to understand that the official version of the day was the final one.
