Prime Minister Edi Rama’s remarks at communication with Albanian reporters in Vienna:

– Which are the challenges you are facing as OSCE Chairman-in-Office until end of Albania’s Chairmanship?

PM Rama: It is hard to say whether there is a relaxation on the part of the Belarusian authorities, but it can be openly said that a very intense, interesting and open exchange of opinions took place today. On the other hand, I would avail myself of this opportunity to reiterate and tell all those who say “why do we have to get involved in this,” “why should you travel there,” and ” you better take care of your responsibilities in Albania rather than deal Belarus” and stuff like that, as well as those others who promote these kinds of ways of approaching to this issue, which is a great honour for Albania. This is an extraordinary moment for Albania in terms of international relations, in terms of the image of a real Albania and in terms of respect for Albania by all our partners. And it is not important at all that it happened me to play this role as long as it was our diplomacy and our government that sought and worked hard to assume the OSCE Chairmanship and we took over the OSCE Chairmanship. What matters here is the fact that Albania is at the helm of the OSCE and that Albania’s Chairmanship is being highly praised by our all international partners. This is what should make everyone happy.

It is not an electoral process that is taking place in Vienna, it is not a process where we are seeking to play internal politics. This is a process with us doing utmost efforts to honour our country and make sure that Albania gets higher credits, both in terms of its international image and the respect of international friends, partners and the whole world that includes entire community map of the OSCE.

– Mr. Prime Minister, I would like to focus on another issue, that of Greece. A map has been published earlier today showing how the maritime border between Greece and Albania is configured. Do you have any information? What can you tell us about this issue, which continues to trigger debate?

PM Rama: What has been published?

–Greek media have published a map showing how the sea border between Greece and Albania is configured.

PM Rama: First, I am not aware of this, but again, the statement issued by PM Mitsotakis on the expansion of Greece’s territorial waters has nothing to do with our territorial waters and has nothing to do with the agreement we are working upon and has yet to be reached with the Greek authorities. The statement has nothing to do with anything that has been intentionally said, or out of ignorance to instigate a concern artificially. Why is there no correlation? Because expanding territorial waters by 6 nautical miles plus is a right of every country. Albania has exercised this right. We have meanwhile expanded our territorial waters by six nautical miles since 1990. We have exercised this right. We deposited it, the Albanian state has deposited it with the UN in March. Greece has not disputed it and has nothing to dispute.

Those who keep asking how much and where Greece will expand its territorial waters I would again, very simply tell them: intermediate water masses, international waters are found between the territorial waters of various countries. These are common waterways and extending to these waters symmetrically as stipulated by the Convention is the right of every country.

Some raise the issue suggesting to consider what is going on between Turkey and Greece. It is irrelevant to this aspect. It has nothing to do with the right to expand the territorial waters in compliance with the Convention on the Law of the Sea. What is currently going on between Turkey and Greece is exactly a dispute on delimitation of the territorial waters of both countries. A dispute we are treating constructively, but a final outcome has yet to be reached and about which an accord has yet to be reached between the two sides. So maps will be released, as it was the case with maps suggesting that Kosovo was to be divided, as it was the case with maps showing that other countries would be divided too, or as maps are being published showing how Albania would expand further and how Serbia would expand beyond itself and how, God knows what, would enlarge further, but these are all speculations completely irrelevant to the reality. Lastly, I want to say that an interstate agreement cannot be made secretly. I have said every time I have stated it anytime I have interfered in the debate about the agreement between Serbia and Kosovo. It cannot be done secretly! It is not a conspiracy between two parties and no one understands it. The agreement goes through all the institutional stages and then turns into law. It is not something that is done secretly.

As to the transparency, as long as we are in a negotiation process, the negotiations are not carried out publicly, yet something is for sure. Our position is clear and the work we have done with the Greek side has been done in a constructive way. As to the statement – such a debate has erupted earlier with similar statement was issued by the then Greek Foreign Minister, right? – it is irrelevant to the topic. It has nothing to do with it. Every party has its own communication strategy to communicate with the public and that statement has been issued in the context of a comprehensive position held by the Prime Minister of Greece on territorial waters and the agreement with Egypt, Italy and so on and so forth. So, I think there is nothing here not to be understood. Whoever wishes to understand, I think it would suffice for them to somehow patiently follow the thread of reasoning and once again realize that Albania already did in 1990 what Greece will do now. The then government, in March of the ’90s has filed with the UN the declaration about the right to expand its territorial waters.

– President stated a day ago “I am here to defend the Constitution…”

PM Rama: We know that and there is no need for him to reiterate and repeatedly tell us. Of course we know that. What I do know is that President should first be well informed and instead of saying what he is there for, as we already know it, he should do what he is tasked with doing, because he is there and he should not confuse the Constitution of Albania with the law of the sea of ​​Greece that derives from the Convention on the Law of the Sea signed in Montego Bay and that has nothing to do with Albania. He should not confuse things, because this is the case when, fortunately for the Constitution, the President has nothing to do with, because Albania’s constitutional right is not applicable to the right of the neighbouring country to exercise what is granted by the International Convention and which doesn’t affect Albania’s territorial waters. So it is similar to the case of the Skrapar Canyons with high cliffs on both sides and a waterway running through. The Convention has granted both cliffs the opportunity to equally and symmetrically share the waterway. Albania has already expanded its territorial waters and it is now Greece’s turn to do so and therefore the President should remain calm, because it is not the case to do rafting with the Constitution and an international relations and good neighbourly relations issue.

–Mr. Rama, another question about the upcoming political season…

PM Rama: Let’s comment on that once we fly back to Tirana, because I never comment on internal political issues when abroad, but since this with Greece is an issue of international relations, and since good people, good Albanians are concerned why they have come across about something that has been tabled and floated by those who are not concerned about the country’s plight, but about their own narrow political interest, I deemed it fit to answer.

–A question about Belarus crisis, when do you plan to travel to Minsk?

PM Rama: I don’t know. This is something nobody knows. Belarussian side has not turned down it. Today, too, their ambassador to the OSCE sounded not refusal when taking the floor, but he simply said that a reply will be provided at the right time. This right time has to be determined by them. This is the way how the OSCE works. In the meantime, I am very pleased that we have had absolutely a positive interaction with the American representatives we met yesterday and had a discussion last evening. We also met Russian delegation today and we had a working lunch with them. The same is the case with our dear and inseparable German friends and partners and others. So, we will wait and see how the process will proceed. But again I repeat, this is a great honor for Albania. This is a moment when Albania leads the OSCE, not just formally, but through ideas and a leadership that is praised by everyone in terms of the approach and communication. I would like to take this opportunity to thank with great respect our ambassador, who despite the fact that in terms of age turns out to be the youngest in that room, he absolutely enjoys the respect of everyone and does an excellent job. I would also like to thank the entire mixed Albanian and foreign team that the Ambassador has built together with us and which is being highly praised and evaluated. This is not about whether we should deal with Belarus, when we face problems of our own. We are not here to put on airs and teach the world. We are here because it was the world that decided to trust us this duty. And we are excelling. This is what matters most and this is for Albania and not for me. Thank you!

– Thank you Mr. Prime Minister!