TIRANA, Dec. 22 – The opposition also reacted to Albania voting against US’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital yesterday, saying it goes against Albanians’ interests and that a vote against the U.S. is a vote against Kosovo.
Adding to the developing debate, Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati made a statement explaining Albania’s stance. Bushati said that Albania’s position is based on the international consensus of numerous UN documents.
Head of opposition Lulzim Basha said the U.S. has been Albania’s main strategic partner in advancing the country’s interests.
“Without the U.S., Kosovo today wouldn’t be as independent or as free as it is. This is my conviction. Without the U.S. Albania wouldn’t be in NATO,” Basha said.
Bushati’s individual statement on his Facebook said that a country’s foreign policy is expected to tell facts from fiction and that Albania’s vote was not anti-U.S., but an expression of the country’s coherent, principled and unchanged position through the years.
Specifically, Bushati said the decision “was based on an international consensus expressed in countless UN documents and the Resolution of the Security Council, as well as in line with the positions of the majority of UN, NATO and EU members, historic partners of the U.S.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy said through a Facebook statement the U.S. simply accepted the simple truth of Jerusalem being the center of Israel’s legislature, prime minister and high court. Despite this, the post continued, “we will continue working for peace.”
