Interview of Prime Minister Edi Rama at the studio of VOA:

Mr. Prime Minister, before we talk about your visit or other developments in Albania, the last 24 hours have been filled with news and comments on the last night match between Serbia and Albania, the suspension of which has been considered a serious event. What is your view on what happened?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: First, allow me to be proud also of this opportunity you are giving me to talk about the 24 hours of Albania and Albanians and on what we were offered yesterday by the guys of our national team, who, for as long as the match was played, practically showed superiority of game and chances. Thus, as far as Albania is concerned, as Albanians are concerned, I don’t believe we have any relation to what happened and was a major disaster for the world’s most popular sport, but also an extremely hideous and utterly condemnable manifestation of violence and racism.

 

Mr. Prime Minister, politicians have also commented the match. Serbian Prime Minister has been quoted today as saying that – I quote: “The flag unfurled at Tuesday’s match in Belgrade was an organized action and serious political provocation. Or, “Albanian extremists wanted to trample our [Serbian] pride, but we saved our face.” You have planned to visit Belgrade next week. Do you think that last night’s event could overshadow the agenda of your visit? Do you expect it to affect your visit? 

Prime Minister Edi Rama: First let me share with you the moment the flag appeared on the screen which I was following along with a group of people here at Harvard coming from different countries. The scene provoked hilarious reactions, meaning that everybody laughed finding it amusing. Hence, it was far from the hot spot of hatred, away from the loathing of past stories; no one felt provoked by the that flag display at that moment. Unfortunately though, as you said, even the highest Serbian authorities say they felt provoked. Yet again, it is just deeply regrettable how a flag hovering on a soccer pitch, in an area where thousands of Serbian flags were unfurled, can be used as an alibi for everything that happened from the moment our national anthem was sung and the entire stadium was shouting “kill Albanians,” until the minute our boys abandoned the stadium under great psychological pressure that added to an unprecedented anti-sports violence. I think that even in this case, as Albanians we should feel good that we have no connection whatsoever with what displayed itself in its most ferocious and spiteful form, as a reminiscence of the past that we are determined to leave behind and which we condemn, being convinced that football cannot become a political instrument and that the politics of states cannot be driven by what happens in a football match.

 

Referring to sources from Serbia, the international press has been reporting today that your brother was temporarily arrested by Serbian police last night and then released, under suspicions of being connected with the flying object. What is your comment? 

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Again, it is regretful and I feel sorry for all those who have become part of this manipulation that is nothing but an attempt to cling to an alibi totally made up and used in vain as a “fig leaf” to cover the nakedness with which past hatred unfolded itself at the stadium yesterday, the same hatred that has prevented our region so much from moving forward. There is no truth in all this. It is just another argument that proves how far from reality and our shared goals is what was manifested yesterday and the comments today that were unfortunately coming even by senior authorities in Serbia. Nonetheless, Albania and Albanians will not stoop to this level. Albania and Albanians are determined to be a model of peace, an inspiring model of looking towards the future, be the region’s engine of transformation from an arena of wars, bloodshed, conflicts and hatred for 100 years into an oasis of cooperation and economic and social development for all our peoples.

 

Mr. Prime Minister, one year has already passed since your government came to power but the political climate hasn’t changed much. Today, you have a dominant majority in Parliament and, although you have been positive on the role the opposition should play in your country, there are critics who say that you have not made ​​serious efforts to secure its cooperation. Do you think reforms in Albania can go ahead without cooperation with the opposition and how can it be achieved?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I think that reforms in Albania will not stop, but of course I do not call into question that opposition’s cooperation on major reforms to modernize the state is an indispensable element and an absolutely Europeanizing one for Albanian politics. That said, I believe that the opposition has always had all the space it needs to play its role. Meanwhile, of course that I understand criticism towards us, although I disagree with it.

 

Mr. Rama, you have declared yourself in favour of a reform in justice that must be carried out together with the opposition. In the meantime, though, you have set up an inquiry committee to dismiss the head of the High Council of Justice, a move which the opposition sees as an attempt to take control over this central institution of justice. What is your comment, your reaction to this?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I do not comment on the opposition. I have a mandate to lead the Government and Government speaks by actions. The Government’s work is reforms, decisions, steps along which to guide the country, while, obviously, the opposition’s work is to speak.

 

Another sensitive issue emerging in Albania recently is that related to the Bank of Albania. Regarding the next governor, you have declared you have had a very good cooperation with President Bujar Nishani. But, do you think there is risk of any political stalemate occurring at this point, given that the President has opened a competition for the next governor, whereas, according to the law, the governor must be elected among the members of the Supervisory Board?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I do not want to prejudice the future. I only want to wish and believe that cooperation with Albanian President will soon give the right governor to the Bank of Albania.

 

Is this governor expected to be a foreigner or an Albanian citizen? That has been debated, as well.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Important to me is that the Governor of the Bank of Albania keeps up with the big challenge of bringing the Bank of Albania out of the crisis it went through recently to be more independent, stronger and definitely more forward-looking and safer. I believe that any prejudice associated with citizenship does not help but rather hinder us, while, there is no doubt that after setting the standard we are certainly open to candidates whether Albanians or foreign ones, provided that they meet this standard.

 

Mr Rama, a debate has been going on recently in Tirana about interceptions conducted by the Albanian Intelligence Service coming to light after an inspection by some SP members of Parliament. What has really happened with these interceptions?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I have no comments on this issue.

 

It is the second time you say you have no comments, but meanwhile the press and your own MPs have given names, even of high-level leading authorities in Albania, who are alleged to have been intercepted. What will you do if there is a legal violation?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I have no comments on this issue.

 

Mr. Rama, you are in Boston since two days at the invitation of one of the most prestigious universities of the world, the Harvard University. What is the aim of this visit? 

Prime Minister Edi Rama: We are here because we cooperate with the Centre for International Development at Harvard University, a centre of world prestige that works along with us to identify the steps for radical reforms that will benefit economic growth, social welfare and will transform Albania into the country we all want: a modern state and functional reality.

 

Thank you Mr. Prime Minister for the time spent with us today.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Thank you for this opportunity. I want to conclude by looking all Albanians in the eyes and repeating that we should all be proud of our national team. We should all be proud to making the difference in the Balkans today. Let’s leave the past behind and not look back, but  look to the future, without falling prey to any provocation or whatever manifestation coming from the past.

Thank you Mr. Prime Minister!