“I am at this protest for nature, for Vjosa-Narta,” Rama responds to Dorian Matlija: The only solution is dialogue with the government

Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted following the statement by lawyer Dorian Matlija, who announced that he would join the civic protest in defense of the environment and against corruption. Rama pointed out that such issues should be addressed through dialogue with the government and not through political clashes.

The lawyer wrote: “I am and will remain part of the civic protest. I am at this protest for nature, for Vjosa-Narta, for the flamingos, for transparency, against corruption, against state capture and the arrogance of power.”

In his response, Rama said: “A constructive step in the right direction, but whoever has reached this turning point, even if a little late, must understand two things:

1. This ‘criminal power’ is in negotiations with the European Union for Albania’s membership and has the strongest popular mandate of the last 20 years, precisely to conclude the negotiations without losing a single day and without losing focus for a single moment from this national mission.

2. Today there is no other historical moment to keep in mind except Albania’s open path to the European Union, which must under no circumstances be allowed to close, while the issues of ‘nature, Vjosa-Narta, flamingos, transparency, anti-corruption or the arrogance of power’ have only one way to be treated seriously:

Democratic dialogue with the Albanian Government.”