Political activist Valon Bela is one of two North Macedonian citizens who have been declared “non grata” by Albania’s Interior Ministry. Reacting to the decision, he accused the Albanian government of serving foreign interests and acting in full coordination with Belgrade.
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At the start of his response, Bela thanked the friends and well-wishers who had informed him and expressed their support.
He said this was his position after being declared “undesirable” by what he called the government of Edi Ramović, describing the Albanian prime minister as Vučić’s “Siamese twin.”
According to Bela, an administrative act cannot render “non grata” the history, sacrifice and contribution of an Albanian. He questioned what message is being conveyed to the nation’s collective memory when a fighter in three Albanian national wars is declared an undesirable person in the Albanian state.
Bela stressed that whenever national ideals have been at stake, Albanians have not been divided into those who are “inside” or “outside” the state border. In his view, people who have made sacrifices for the freedom and dignity of Albanians cannot be judged solely through administrative decisions, particularly when there is no transparency and the public has not been given a clear explanation.
He added that no government stands above the nation and that political mandates do not last forever. Governments change, Bela said, but history remains. According to him, the decision-makers taking exclusionary measures today should know that they will be assessed both by their contemporaries and by future generations, who will judge whether they defended the national interest or the interests of the moment.
Bela went on to accuse the government of gravely insulting Kosovo, welcoming Vučić with a red carpet, and mistreating and brutally beating its own citizens who think differently.
In conclusion, he said that a fighter’s dignity is not determined by whether he is allowed or barred from entering a country, but by the legacy he has left and the respect he enjoys among the people. Bela contrasted this with the current government, which he said is respected only by “baby killers.” He claimed that Rama and Vučić, acting in full coordination, had placed him on the list of undesirable persons, adding that this “speaks volumes.” /INA/
