While PM Cameron was addressing to the British Parliament for the Brexit
referendum, a considerable number of British MPs attended the reception
of the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, by valuing his achievements as a
young politician, and the successes of Albania in the path towards EU
integration.
Among them was Sadik Kahn, expected to run as Mayor of London. Same as before, he expressed the highest evaluations for Albania and the Albanian community in Britain.
The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, negotiated with success the funding from EBRD for building the new bus terminal in Tirana. Veliaj said for Top Channel that EBRD has decided to consider a huge part of the funds for schools and the public-private partnership.
As for the political situation in Tirana, Veliaj condemned what he called vandalism, and said that what was seen from Tirana today are not the images of an European city.
TCH: While you are here in London and at the British Parliament, and while you are receiving evaluations from the EBRD, you have been contested in Tirana. What is your comment.
Erion Veliaj: I value the evaluations of the British Parliament and the support from the EBRD. Certainly, I value more the support of my citizens with whom I am working, and for the interest of whom I have arrived here in London. Certainly, while we fight for their interest, we are often misunderstood, criticized and even violently attacked, such as the vandalism that we saw today from one political force. The images of dragging public assets like war trophy are not images of a European city. I believe that the support is even bigger than what we had on the voting day. People are seeing how in six months there is a lot of work being done in Tirana. This is what returns the trust of investors in Britain and anywhere else. They are getting closer to Tirana after seeing the work in progress. I am determined to not get intimidated by the vandalism, and I am here to fight for the silent majority. This is because a small minority cannot go against a majority that wants to mind its own business, that wants to take children for a walk, or that wants children to play without paying in malls. People who love Tirana not only for Valentine’s day. This is the Tirana I am fighting for and this is the support that encourages me to continue determined that every promise I have made in the campaign, such as the one for the transformation of the Lake or for building parks in Kashar, Vaqarr and other areas, these promises will all be kept. I’ve been in power for six months only. I will be for three years and a half. I understand that the other party insists to force themselves into a building they used to keep for four years. They had all the chances to make these transformations. Today they will face all responsibilities, and certainly there will be a criminal prosecution for all violators.
Top Channel
