Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has responded to statements by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who claimed that foreign actors stand behind the violent protests in Albania, naming Russia and Iran.
In a statement distributed also on social networks by the Russian diplomatic mission in Tirana, Zakharova rejected the accusations of the Albanian head of government and called on him to seek responsibility for the situation within the country. Addressing Rama directly, the Russian official stressed that it was Albanian citizens who took to the streets in protest, not foreign actors.
“No, Edi Rama, it is the citizens of your country who have come out to protest, and you should not blame others for it”, reads Zakharova’s response. She further urged the Albanian prime minister to focus on the country’s internal problems.
“Sort out your own internal problems”, her statement concludes. Moscow’s reaction comes after Rama’s remarks, in which he raised suspicions of foreign involvement in the violent protests, claiming that these actors aim to obstruct Albania’s path toward European Union membership.
