The City Council of Geneva, Switzerland, has approved a resolution titled “L’Albanie n’est pas à vendre” (“Albania Is Not for Sale”), expressing support for civic protests in Albania over the protection of Narta, Zvërnec, Sazan and other publicly significant natural areas.
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The resolution raises concerns about developments affecting protected areas in Albania and specifically refers to Narta, Zvërnec and Sazan in the context of tourism projects and interventions along the country's Adriatic coast.
The initiative came amid months of mobilization by the Albanian diaspora in Switzerland, which has followed and supported protests in Albania opposing major tourism developments and construction in environmentally sensitive areas. Similar diaspora mobilizations have taken place elsewhere in Switzerland and Europe.
Diaspora Pushes the Issue Beyond Albania
Dorina Xhixho, a member of the coordination group for protests in Geneva and Switzerland and one of those involved in the initiative behind the resolution, told Citizens.al that the objective was to ensure that the protests in Albania would not remain solely a domestic issue.
She said the diaspora had sought to amplify the demonstrations in Tirana through both the media and political institutions in the countries where Albanians live.
“Tirana must feel that the world is watching and that the protest is not isolated,” Xhixho said.
Before the vote, Albanian activists in Geneva reportedly contacted Swiss media and established links with political parties, particularly the Greens. Xhixho described the adoption of the resolution as the institutional culmination of those efforts, highlighting the involvement of Edon Duraku and Marigona Hyseni among the initiative's organizers.
What Does the Resolution Demand?
Resolution R-338 addresses the development of Albania's coastline in the broader context of protecting natural areas and the rights of communities affected by development projects.
According to Xhixho, the document contains two principal elements. The first is its preamble, which places concerns raised by protesters in an institutional context.
The second contains demands directed toward the Albanian authorities, including protection of the coastline and natural spaces from what the resolution characterizes as purely commercial development, greater transparency in decision-making, meaningful consultation with affected communities, compliance with national and international environmental standards, and protection of the freedoms of expression, assembly and peaceful protest.
The document also addresses civic freedoms in connection with the protests, calling on Albanian authorities to guarantee the rights of people who peacefully oppose the projects.
Another element highlighted by Xhixho is a request for the Government of Geneva to officially address the issues surrounding Albania's coastline and the protests.
“This takes the issue to the executive level as well, and we will closely follow what comes next,” she said.
Narta, Zvërnec and Sazan at the Center of a Wider Debate
The Geneva resolution comes as the environmental and legal questions surrounding major tourism developments in Albania have attracted attention beyond the country.
The protests that began around Narta and Zvërnec have become closely associated with opposition to planned tourism development involving the coastal area and nearby Sazan. International media have reported on the environmental concerns raised by activists, while the Albanian government has defended tourism investment and argued that such projects can contribute to the country's economic and tourism development.
The debate also extends beyond Sazan itself. Narta Lagoon and the surrounding Vjosa-Narta area are environmentally sensitive areas, while Sazan forms part of the Sazan-Karaburun marine protected area.
The European Parliament has also raised concerns over Albania's protected areas and the potential environmental impact of large-scale tourism development, including the proposed development associated with Sazan and the Vjosa-Narta area.
“Every International Signal Gives the Debate Another Dimension”
For Xhixho, the significance of the Geneva vote goes beyond the fact that the resolution was adopted outside Albania.
She emphasized Geneva's international role as a center for diplomacy, human rights and humanitarian institutions, arguing that the city's involvement gives the environmental debate surrounding Albania a wider international dimension.
“In this sense, this resolution places the debate over the protection of Albanian territory and the environment, as well as the fundamental rights of the population, within a broader framework,” she said.
Xhixho also linked the issue to Albania's status as an EU candidate country and the importance of respecting national and international standards.
For her, however, the Geneva vote does not mark the end of the diaspora's involvement.
“As long as people are protesting in the homeland, we will protest as well,” she said.
She stressed that activism extends beyond demonstrations, including social media campaigns, legal initiatives, petitions and political lobbying both inside and outside Albania.
In Geneva, the diaspora plans to follow how local authorities respond to the resolution and continue contacts with Swiss political parties, particularly on environmental issues.
“Coordinators continue their work through letters, petitions, press releases and contacts with political institutions and the media,” Xhixho said.
The Geneva vote therefore adds another international dimension to an increasingly broader debate over Albania's coastline, protected areas, tourism development and the role of citizens and diaspora communities in decisions concerning the country's natural resources.