After the note of protest issued by France to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, on Rama’s criticism against the EU and France for their handling of the vaccination process, today came the response of Prime Minister Rama. While the Embassy of France considered as “inadequate” Rama’s criticism against the EU and France, Rama wrote on Facebook that the he has not attacked any ally: “I have not attacked any ally, much less France in this case! I have not forgotten and I do not forget that the European Union has helped Albania, since our country came out of the prison of dictatorship […] I have valued and continue to value the European Union, for a thousand and one reasons, including without a doubt the invaluable assistance it has given to Albania for 30 years now,” wrote Rama on Facebook.
The Prime Minister further added that “I have talked about a particular silence in a particular situation, and when it comes to the vaccine, I don’t remove any of the words that I have said! To leave out the countries of the region in the distribution of the vaccine against COVID […] there is no justification on that, and everyone can understand that, even those who acts as if they don’t,” said Rama.
The Embassy note of protest came after Rama gave an interview for Top Channel, where beside the criticism against the EU, Rama mentioned also the case of France, as being a country that was leaving in stock vaccines that could have been used by other countries. On this matter, the Prime Minister said that he used France’s example just to “illustrate the idea that there is no reason why to not send to other countries some doses for the doctors, as long as they’re not being used in any country in the EU.” Rama continued by saying that the Embassy has taken his words “out of the context”, and that is why the note of protest would not make him change his mind.
