Following is the Q&A session between the Prime Minister Edi Rama and reporters and members of public via social media on the eve of the milestone event in Albania’s international relations history, the first-ever summit between EU and Western Balkan leaders set to take place in Tirana on December 6:
Prime Minister Edi Rama: Welcome everyone. You are welcome as much as the rain for the reasons you know quite well and I would like to begin by highlighting the reason behind this communication precisely today, just 48 hours away from an extraordinary historical event – in my view – the most important one in history of our country’s international relations, with all European Union leaders set to arrive for the first time in a non-EU member for a summit hosted by the European Council together with the Western Balkan leaders.
It is definitely a strategic evaluation by the organizers to set precisely in Tirana this station along a journey, which, for reasons we have repeatedly named and will further elaborate today and in the future, is becoming increasingly a common journey in a world that is pitting us against increasingly common challenges.
It is a strategic turn in the history of the European Union in the past several years, a turn towards a totally new approach to the Western Balkans and I would humbly also note that we have played our own role to deliver on this turn and we have provided a series of evidence to demonstrate that we are ready to be evaluated and be considered differently, and by this I mean not only Albania, but the Western Balkans as a whole. This is a strategic turn certainly also galvanized first by the pandemic and then the Russian aggression on Ukraine, but it is also a strategic recognition for Albania. This is unquestionably true.
It is not a randomly chosen station, but a very well-thought out and deliberately picked station. As we prepare for this Summit to play in the meantime our role as a country, as well as certainly as a region, just like we have tried and have been playing already for a long time now, at the time when we have been always sitting as the first among equals around the table of the Europe’s big and although we are fully aware of the fact that we still have got a very long way to go to eventually sit around that table as primus inter pares, we haven’t hesitated throughout our effort to be always straightforward and say things the way they are without fearing or having complexes.
I believe everyone remembers the time when I specifically raised an outcry when the EU declined to consider us part of the initial coronavirus vaccine rollout, during the very first frightening of the COVID-19 pandemic, many said this was nonsense and that this was effectively the end of a normal relationship with the EU and that the EU would retaliate for this. In fact, quite the opposite happened.
And this was not only because we were right, but also because the EU is not a structure, it is not a body, it is not a force reacting like “the neighbourhood’s strongman”, but quite the opposite. Most importantly one should be right and know how to convey the message on what you are entitled to in an understandable, right and clear way and your voice, sooner rather than later, will be definitely heard.
All these remarks were to introduce today’s topic and just like we held a very useful conversation like this some time ago, we come together again in the same discussion format with the reporters, who usually attend our press conferences, and the social media followers, so that we can receive as many questions as possible, especially from the followers and we have tried –and this has actually been the goal of the team that prepared this communication – to select the “thorniest” questions, if you will. Whereas the reporters need no help to ask such questions.
Let’s immediately start with a question from our followers and then from the reporters in turn.
Question from the social media: Would this EU Summit generate any funds or pictures only?
PM Edi Rama: As to the question asked by Agim, whether “the Summit will generate money, or just pictures,” I would like to highlight that we are increasingly involving in a process, where the EU financial assistance becomes increasingly more significant and considerable one and we are making all the efforts for this assistance to expand further, despite the fact that in the meantime we also need to press ahead and move forward with the full-fledged EU integration process and we are strongly insisting on this aspect on our part as Albania, but being confident that we also enjoy the understanding and the support from other countries in the region. When it comes to a part of the benefits – if we are to name that way according to Agim – we don’t need to wait to become full members of the EU to gain the EU funds and assistance for the higher education system, agriculture, youth, as well as the strategic investment in infrastructure, digitalization and energy.
Let’s take a question from any of the participating reporters.
-Mr. Prime Minister, I would like you make a comment on Serbia’s refusal to attend the Summit and given that Serbia’s attitude somehow indicates Serbia’s distancing from the EU and the West with its absence in the Summit, does such a stance influence your relation with Mr. Vucic, Albanian state’s relation with Serbia and the Open Balkans initiative?
Second question focuses on a current issue, but which is not about the Summit. Most recently, Spanish authorities, in collaboration with the Special Anti-Corruption and Anti-Crime Prosecution, SPAK, are looking into a Tirana-based online investment fraudulent scheme, allegedly robbing around 2.5 billion euros from 200,000 European citizens. A former official of your government has been identified as the mastermind behind this scheme and he is allegedly a call centre business partner with your brother between 2014 and 2018. According to the Spanish media El paise, he has been enjoying state support while conducting this activity? Has your government been shielding this activity? Thank you.
PM Edi Rama: Thank you for the questions. I would start with the second question. Our government is not a shield to any activity and our government never becomes a shield to anyone, whoever it is. However, to comment on this very concrete case, the speculations that he has allegedly been “ a former official” are useless, of no value of whatsoever, because, first and foremost this so-called “former official”, who is now wanted by the justice has been declared as such – and I would like to remind you all of this fact – after a process that has not been totally and independently conducted by the Spanish law enforcement agencies only, but it has been carried out in close cooperation with our law enforcement agencies and agencies from other countries. In a nutshell, our law enforcement agencies, and by this I mean our State Police that are somehow under the umbrella of the executive power have in no case encountered any obstacle or any influence not to act.
As to my brother’s alleged involvement in this kettle of fish, I would say this is actually part of the big sword dance taking place in the political establishment and I can openly state that my brother is an adult who assumes responsibility for whatever he does, but in this very concrete case it is all about dragging him into this sword dance of the politics and the allegations are absolutely unfounded and should the individual we are talking about was to enjoy state protection he wouldn’t have been declared a wanted person. It is as simple as that.
As far as the first question is concerned, I am not impressed by any statement issued by the politicians domestically or internationally just for their domestic political intentions. Serbia will attend the Summit and the President of Serbia faces no other choice but to join the Summit. I can state this confidently, because the opposite would be catastrophic for Serbia and for him too.
Question from the social media: I very much hope that the Summit runs smoothly and no incident takes place.
PM Edi Rama: I don’t think that incidents will take place. Preparations for the Summit have been made for a long time now. It is one sort of event that includes many institutions and as such they also involve a considerable number of individuals and offices, namely the EU offices in this case. These preparations also include the Summit’s security forces, considering that the event brings together simultaneously the European leaders of the 27 member states and their delegations, as well as the Brussels delegations, the delegation of the President of the European Council, without forgetting the five other leaders from the region, who will be coming to Tirana together with their delegations, as well as the delegations from other international bodies. Therefore, understandably extreme security measures should be in place and such measures are not to be negotiated with nobody and for nobody. In the meantime, the police have also publicly announced the security perimeter that is not to be negotiated with anyone and for nobody and there is no reason for us to worry about any potential incident.
-Mr. Prime Minister, despite your statements and the official response from the State Police, the Democratic Party has stated that Mr. Berisha won’t backtrack from plans to hold the opposition’s protest along the Martyrs of the Nation Boulevard. How do you consider such a position and can you tell us whether the Socialist Party has attempted to negotiate – if I may put it this way – with the Democratic Party not to stage the protest on the day when the EU leaders are set to arrive in Albania? Thank you!
PM Edi Rama: Now, first of all, this word the Democratic Party actually has more than one meaning. So they are part of a force called the Democratic Party, but which is indeed a disintegrated force and, on the other hand, I find no reason whatsoever to negotiate with anyone, because, as I already stated, the security perimeter of the international summits is negotiated nowhere and with nobody. Of course, certain forces and organizations, certain groups opposing such summits usually stage protests against such events. No protests supporting summits have ever taken place and will never take place anywhere around the world. Protests against such summits take place regularly, but they are always staged outside the security perimeter and this is the case in all the countries, anytime and anywhere. As such, I don’t consider it an issue to be settled between the Socialist Party or the government and a part of the so-called opposition. I consider it a matter of security and it is up to the relevant authorities, in collaboration with the relevant structures employed by the protest organizers. The Summit is not being organized by Albania. Albania is just the host country and as such Albania has been tasked with all the organizational measures to assure the organizers – the European Union, the European Council and the President of the European Council are the organizers of this Summit – the event will run smoothly and successfully as it will definitely be the case. What do you think should be negotiated? I would decline from issuing more comments on issues concerning this absurd protest. This is an absurd protest that has nothing else to do, but a mission that is now clear and bare to the eyes of anyone wishing to see. It is the very same political force that has been funded by the Russian money to topple the government of this country and this is a fact. It is the very force that has joined the vote with Vladimir Putin’s party to raise the most monstrous accusation in the history of the Council of Europe against Kosova Liberation Army, staining not only the liberation war, but also Kosova and Albania, and it is the very same force that is being lead by an individual that has been declared persona non-grata by the United States of America and the Great Britain for major corruption, undermining democracy and all the imaginable possible wrongdoings that can’t be summed up in a piece paper only.
So, in addition to such assessment and opinion that have been already expressed publicly, this is all about the Summit’s security and the security is non-negotiable with anyone and I am convinced that nobody would venture to violate the security perimeter. I am confident about it, because it would be senseless and madness.
I wouldn’t go on with commenting on that horrendous part of this whole story that is designed to intentionally and deliberately stain this event in a bid to draw attention to personal problems and, on the other hand, not to allow Albania thrive and make the headlines of the international media on that day, but instead highlight that the Summit was taking place, but some others were staging a protest against “the narco-state”. According to them, the EU leaders come together in a narco-state. This is craziness.
