The Global Sumud Flotilla delegation arrived at the Port of Vlora after announcing on social media its engagement in defending Sazan and the Vjosa. But the arrival immediately turned into a political and propaganda clash, with the government saying the activists refused to visit the very island over which they had raised the alarm.
Institutional reception at the port
At the port, the delegation was received by Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Marinela Prifti, as well as Jola Hysaj, director general of the National Tourism Agency.
The presence of officials at the reception gave the arrival a clear political weight, at a time when the debate over the future of Sazan is being strongly played out on social media and in public.
Rama mocks the flotilla
After the delegation arrived in Vlora, Prime Minister Edi Rama also reacted, choosing an ironic tone toward the Global Sumud Flotilla mission.
In his reaction, Rama called the group’s members “the revolutionaries of lies” and congratulated the National Tourism Agency and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for the reception organized for the activists.
Official version: they refused to go to the island
According to Jola Hysaj, the delegation was offered the opportunity to be accompanied on a visit to Sazan and to receive information on the claims it has publicly raised about the island.
She claimed that the group changed its mind and did not agree to travel to Sazan, even though it had come to Albania precisely in the name of protecting it. According to this version, the delegation received an informational document and said it would go to Tirana to join a revolution.
Government denies sale of Sazan
In her statement, Hysaj insisted that there is no agreement with private parties, that there is not yet a defined architectural project, and that not a single square meter of the island has been sold.
According to her, ownership of Sazan remains public and any development scenario would proceed only through a joint venture in which the state would be a partner. She also added that the possible intervention perimeter would be limited to 45 hectares out of 562 in total and that protected areas would be excluded from any development.
However, these are claims presented by institutions and not evidence that closes the public debate over transparency, the limits of intervention, and the real economic interest behind the much-discussed project for the island.
From activism to a battle of narratives
Government officials also sharply attacked the symbolic language used by the flotilla on social media, especially comparisons with Gaza and the images published before arriving in Albania.
Meanwhile, the delegation has also created a mural on one of the country’s streets. So far, the public clash appears more like a battle over the narrative than a full clarification of the Sazan issue, where institutions are offering political guarantees, but questions about the concrete project still remain open.
The arrival of the Global Sumud Flotilla in Vlora did not produce only a protocol episode, but also exposed the tension between activism, official propaganda and the lack of full clarity over what is actually planned for Sazan.
For the moment, what exists publicly are the statements of the sides and a heated debate, while the final facts about the island remain contested.