Albania’s Edi Rama lacks a prodigious foreign policy
The fulcrum of Albania’s shattered economy is Edi Rama’s autocratic leadership that has turned his country into a hotbed of organized crime activities and underground deals that significantly harm national interests. The very same criminal groups have used active measures to purchase ballots and bribing constituents only a few weeks before the Parliamentary elections took place on April 25th, 2021, boosting the popularity of Socialist Party of Albania and ensuring Edi Rama’s continuation into power. Although the OSCE representatives in the ground had expressed their concerns about the poor standard of these elections, and majority of citizens have succumbed into misery and poverty (in the last eight years); a number of western Embassies in Tirana rushed to congratulate the incumbent Prime Minister and tacitly encourage him to continue with his strategy of harboring organized crime, pawning the Albanian territory, including oil and gas reserves (of unspecified size) to EU affiliated corporations, in order to demonstrate that he is the one who ensured the opening of negotiations with the EU. Edi Rama is using all dirty tricks, just like North Macedonia, by distracting the international authorities and continues to avoid the fulfillment of the 15 points criteria and ignores the Copenhagen principles. Rama’s gold rush is simply encouraged by the current economic crisis that has torn Albania apart, with these negotiations Rama hopes to secure more cash donated by Brussels and aspires to bypass the role of the president in ratifying any agreement with the European Union. Albania’s problems are emphasized clearly on page 60 of EU’s main document that establishes the roadmap of this long and complex process of negotiations.
The administration of Albania’s Foreign Policy and reemergence of corrupt diplomats before the public opinion with their hypocritical statements, among them Fatos Tarifa, Artur Kuko and beer aficionado Ilir Boçka (well known for his bank accounts in Cyprus); groomed by Edi Rama, are additional reasons why the country is in collapse.
Albania’s image abroad was tarnished by Fatos Tarifa, a Former Ambassador to Washington DC who is well known for his corruptive affairs during his diplomatic stint. Tarifa has been highly successful in avoiding national courts and Tirana’s district attorneys in regards to his alleged mismanagement of over USD 150 thousand, a fund that was allocated to the Albanian Embassy under his tenure. In 2002 – 2005, Tarifa has also established a bad reputation for not paying parking violation tickets to Washington’s city hall; the dollar amount of hundreds of parking and speeding tickets accrued by Albanian Embassy’s fleet of three cars, reached over 6,000.00 USD. At the end of his diplomatic mission, former Ambassador Tarifa had left the Embassy in the worst ever conditions; with broken windows and miserable structural failures that caused permanent damages to the building itself.
Edi Rama, as a disciple of George Soros in the Balkans, over the last decade has embarked on a smear campaign and hired some of Washington’s best lobbyists to tarnish and seriously damage the image of former Albanian president and Prime Minister Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha; crowning his nasty efforts with the murky and illegitimate actions undertaken on May 19th, 2021, by US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, in “announcing the public designation of Sali Berisha […] due to his involvement in significant corruption, being involved in corrupt acts, such as misappropriation of public funds and interfering with public processes, including using his power for his own benefit and to enrich his political allies…”. On the same vein, at home Edi Rama has a fully concocted playbook were Lulzim Basha, Albania’s fake opposition leader, appears to be Rama’s best ally not only in business enterprises where both have significant shares on the very same companies but also in national politics enabling Rama to perpetuate in power and succumb his nation to Organized Crime and Corruption.
Furthermore, Albania’s posture and relations with its neighboring countries are harming its very national sovereignty and maritime boundaries; knowing that Tirana has a propensity to promote traitors like Fatos Tarifa into the most sensitive government positions. In this context, what are the tenets of political agreement with Greece and why is Edi Rama keeping this document away from the public’s eye?
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Greece Nikos Dendias had clearly articulated in a radio interview that:
“Political agreement for addressing the delimitation of economic exclusive zones between Greece and Albania in the International Court of Justice in The Hague has been agreed since October 2020.”
In response to this paramount statement made by Minister Dendias, Albanian Prime Minister has maintained silence; however a course correction is immediately needed. The Rama Government, joined by incompetent ministers, must inform the public opinion as it pertains to the bilateral negotiations with Athens and above all suspend his slander campaign against Prof. Dr. Berisha. There is no doubt that underhand tactics and ongoing dialogue veiled with secrecy will make things from bad to worse in a very short time with the Greek Government as well as ongoing Judicial reforms in Tirana, sponsored by George Soros, are doomed to fail. Transparency is key for negotiations to be effective as Edi Rama continues to govern Albania with an autocratic style allowing organized crime to permeate in every public institution and operate under the protection of State Police Force.
A full response and overarching transparency are an obligation for Edi Rama, as he cannot dodge these foreign policy matters, that bring on the limelight his detestable governing practices, reveal his smear campaign in Washington, and uncover his mishandling of the maritime boundaries of Albania.