The US Ambassador to Albania, Yuri Kim has revealed the topics she discussed with the opposition leader, Lulzim Basha at Saturday’s unofficial dinner.
Ms. Kim said in her post on Twitter that she discussed with Basha the role of the opposition in democracy, the views of the Albanian opposition on key issues, and the April 25 elections. Below is full post:
“Met w/DP Chairman @lulzimbasha_al tonight. Discussed the essential role of the opposition in democracy, opposition’s views on main issues, and preparations for April 25 election. All parties must ensure clean candidates. 🇺🇸 will do its part to support free & fair elections in 🇦🇱.”
It’s striking that the top envoy to Tirana of Washington, Albania’s closest strategic ally, didn’t mention if she touched upon the most worrisome issue of the pandemic whose repercussions are being hard on people with loss of lives and economic hardships in Albania.
PM Edi Rama went to the US a few days ago in effort to get any supply of vaccines but apparently he returned empty handed. A blurred confirmation by some officials claims the vaccine could be secured within the first three months of next year but asked by journalists they fail to release any concrete details, nanely when precisely the vaccination will start.
In all odds Albania’s leadership seems to wait for the closest ally for a green light to get the vaccine seeing the plague through the political glssses as other US allies are being pragmatic putting people’s life first.
Besides vaccines which are impossible to get like Pfizer or Moderna for some time other countries have produced them complying with international medical standards.
Some outstanding physicians have said publicly Russian and Chinese vaccines meet all standards and are being applied in the respective countries and other countries worldwide including neighboring countries like Serbia. Such deadly spread of the infection could affect the normal holding of general elections in April. Incidentally did Basha and Kim touch upon such an issue as participation in elections has generally been low even at times when there was no any deadly disease like the coronavirus?
DP’s Basha said two days ago that he is having intensive talks with his important international partners on ways to make possible supplies of the life saving vaccine. Is US senior diplomatic envoy part of this ‘group of friends’ of Basha with whom he could have shared his undertaking in search of the vaccine?
In many countries the leaderships are acting under the motto like in a war situation: people’s life comes first! This is what Albanians expect from their political class. SOS!
/argumentum.al