Relationship dossier
Albania
Serbia
Relationship assessment
Regional cooperation coexists with a persistent dispute over Kosovo.
Albania toward Serbia
-10Albania has engaged Serbia in regional economic initiatives, including the Open Balkan initiative. Albania's support for Kosovo's independence remains a major source of political friction with the Serbian government.
Serbia toward Albania
-10Serbia has participated with Albania in regional economic initiatives, including the Open Balkan initiative. Serbia's refusal to recognize Kosovo's independence conflicts with Albania's support for Kosovo and weighs on bilateral relations.
Overall relationship
-10The relationship combines practical regional cooperation and high-level engagement with a durable political divide over Kosovo. The disagreement constrains closer ties, while initiatives such as Open Balkan provide a channel for cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Albania and Serbia have pursued regional economic cooperation, including through the Open Balkan initiative, and maintain high-level political engagement. Their relationship is nevertheless constrained by Albania's support for Kosovo and Serbia's refusal to recognize Kosovo's independence. Cooperation is concrete but has not removed this central political disagreement.
Areas of tension
- Albania's support for Kosovo's independence conflicts with Serbia's refusal to recognize Kosovo.
- Political disagreements related to Kosovo have affected bilateral engagement.
Key developments
Albania, Serbia, and North Macedonia launched the Open Balkan regional cooperation initiative.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama made a high-level visit to Belgrade, renewing direct political engagement amid tensions over Kosovo.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of cooperation under the Open Balkan initiative are unclear.
- The extent to which regional cooperation has affected the governments' positions on Kosovo is uncertain.