During today’s meeting of the Council of Ministers discussed the concern over the very serious issue of cash robbery at the Bank of Albania. The government considers this serious criminal act a major challenge for justice in the first place, starting from the Prosecutor’s office that must conduct a thorough, quick and exhaustive investigation in order to punish every person involved in this appallingly crime. This act is also a major challenge to the authority and security of the Bank of Albania which, within the framework of its independence should ensure through comprehensive review of the rules and mechanisms of internal operation that nothing similar will occur in the future. This act is also a major challenge for other decision-making powers, the Parliament and the Government, to analyze and constructively conclude in cooperation with international financial institutions, on the appropriate legislative needs and measures in order to ensure, in full respect of the independence of the Bank of Albania, a solid system of control and transparency of the activities of this key institution to the good functioning of the state.

The 2014 marked for Albanians and Albania the success of getting the status of candidate country for the European Union.

The status was granted after all these years as a direct consequence of the will of the government of the Alliance for European Albania to fight corruption and crime, but also to respect and promote the strengthening of the independence of institutions that are recognized as such by the Constitution of the Republic. Bank of Albania is one of them.

That is why today, besides being sympathetic with the public concern about this serious event at the Bank of Albania and joining this legitimate concern, the Government of Albania considers of the same major importance both the need for an exemplary punishment of culprits by justice, and the need for an exemplary attitude of justice in respect of the independence of the Bank of Albania.

The government ensures all Albanian citizens that it is following very closely every judiciary action to shed light on this appallingly crime at the Bank of Albania and is determined to play its role for any initiative that might be needed to ensure an impenetrable security system in the functioning of the central bank of Albania.