On the second day of his visit in Tirana, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Matthew Palmer, attended a meeting with Albanian journalists, where he underlined that all political parties must participate in the elections, and that the opposition must be involved in the dialogue for the judiciary reform.
When asked if he had brought any platform to help resolve the current stalemate in Albania, Palmer’s response was that his visit was not for negotiating solutions.
Addressing to the possible electoral boycott and renouncement of mandates as an “outdated method”, Palmer didn’t seem to support the opposition’s request to form an interim government: “The opposition must get involved with the democratic processes. The government and the other institutions are legitimate. I believe that this government will take the country forward with the EU processes, and that Albania has the capacity needed to progress with the judiciary reform, the fight against organized crime and corruption”, he said.
For Palmer, the opposition’s decision whether to participate in the elections or not, is not a responsibility of the government: “It is the opposition’s duty to convince the electorate”, he said.
When asked about the Biniatta Trade, Palmer noted that lobbying is legal in the USA, as long that the rules are respected and there is transparency. While for the lobbying done regarding the candidate for US Ambassador to Albania, Kathleen Ann Kavalec, he said that the senate hasn’t taken any decision yet, and that it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to comment more, since there is already an ongoing investigation regarding this case.
Another question made by the journalists was about the Russian influence in the country: “The approach of the US is to have a region based on the rule of law. Russia wants chaos, because that goes it its benefit. This chaos is only for Russia to achieve its personal ambitions. Albania is a difficult objective for Russia”, Palmer said.
As for Kosovo, Palmer said that the agreement between Prishtina and Belgrade is indispensable.
Yesterday, Palmer met with the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, as part of his two-day visit in our country. Rama wrote on Twitter that the meeting was very useful, focusing on Albania’s EU integration and the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.
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