CNN: Albania’s Prime Minister says a successful presidential bid by the Republic hopeful would hurt US relations with his country. I ask Edi Rama why he said that and what exactly he means.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: America is “the shining city upon the hill”, and the purposes we are listening from Donald Trump are really frightening and are really undermining what America is in our eyes.

 

CNN: You’d be aware of course that diplomatic niceties usually mean that foreign leaders do not comment on elections in other countries. But you obviously decided that this issue is greater that this protocol.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I did not comment on the elections. I simply said something that I understand, and I am neither the first nor the only one to say. Other leaders in Europe have expressed the same concerns, because America and the US is far greater and far more important than for itself and in itself. The US is in our eyes a world leader that we follow as a truly inspiring example, and this inspiring example is built on values and principles for which America fought and that made America great.

 

CNN: If Donald Trump does become the nominee, then it becomes a lot trickier, doesn’t it, for everyone concerned who has these fears.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: God forbid! I believe it would harm a lot America and it would harm a lot the democratic world, since at the end he will have to do at least some of the things that he is saying he will do, and this would be very harmful. And I very much hope that in the meantime he will be able to learn more about the world, learn more about Muslims, learn more about how they are a very proud community of people who, regardless of their religion or their ethnicity, live with the values that America represents and protect these values, even by sacrificing their own children in wars together with America.