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Letter to the editor: The double standards in Albania’s diplomatic service

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5 mins read
8 years ago
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Shortly after the Socialist Party came to power, they decided to change the law on diplomatic service. A group of Albanian diplomats with a long history in foreign diplomatic service whose names were better left unknown then and are still better left unknown now – sent the following e-mail to a number of EU, US and German representatives through third parties: “Our diplomatic service is facing a deadly blow with the new draft law due to be passed on Thursday by the parliament majority. The law puts the foreign service completely under political control. The hitherto law foresees 20% of…

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Story Highlights

  • While any "street man" may become an ambassador, it takes at least 14 years for a career diplomat to be posted as ambassador. Most of the current Albanian diplomats serving abroad have little or nothing to do with the foreign service and often have no experience at all. A "street ambassador" is supposed to have 10 years of work experience dealing with foreign relations in what is a very broad and abusive definition. Meanwhile, a career diplomat must serve not less than 14 years in the foreign ministry to get the title of counsellor, let alone ambassador, a paradox a normal country diplomat would never believe.

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