“Many Albanian friends have expressed shock and concern over the recent assault on the US Capitol,” said US Ambassador to Albania Yuri Kim in her first reaction on the events which happened around the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday.
Ambassador Kim said President Donald Trump made clear that the US is and must remain a nation of law and order, and those who broke the law will pay a price.
Below is the full note posted by Washington’s top diplomat in Tirana on Twitter on Friday:
Many Albanian friends have expressed shock and concern over the recent assault on the US Capitol. I would like to thank you for standing with us. Yesterday, President Trump made clear that the US is and must remain a nation of law and order, and those who broke the law will pay a price. President Trump also made clear that Congress has certified the results of our election and he is now focused on ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power on January 20.
What the US counsels to others applies to us as well: freedom of speech and right of assembly are essential to democracy, but this freedom and right must not be perverted into lawlessness and violence against democracy itself, including the peaceful transition of power.
Democracy is not easy and it must not be taken for granted by any of us. The US will emerge stronger and wiser after this test of our democracy. Those of us who believe in democracy – in the US, Albania and the world – must recommit to cherish and defend it always. /argumentum.al
