U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) have called on the Albanian government to ensure free elections on Sunday, April 25.
“As Albania prepares for national elections on April 25, we encourage the Albanian people to vote. We urge authorities to ensure that voters are able to exercise this fundamental right free from intimidation and violence. We also expect all candidates to act in accordance with democratic norms even as they campaign vigorously. Albania’s friends in America are more committed than ever to supporting a democratic and prosperous future for the Albanian people,” they state in their statement, also shared on social media by the U.S. Ambassador to Albania Yuri Kim.
The last days of the Albanian electoral campaign have been marked by rising tensions. The US and EU ambassadors have increased their activity on the ground and strengthened calls on Albanian leaders to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric.
