Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the establishment of a Special Committee to manage the economic and security consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine during a press conference this morning.
Rama said it is essential to prepare for any scenario, and as such, the Committee will be tasked with assessing and mitigating the impact of the war on Albania.
“The boycott of oil and gas marks a tectonic change and the consequences will lead to predictable difficulties in the short term. Albania is no exception,” he said.
Addressing criticism over rising petrol and gas prices, Rama said, “Albania as in any other country is influenced by the market, not government decisions.”
“The price of oil does not depend on the government. I want to emphasise this clearly. It is the market, and that market is very sensitive.”
He noted that today the price of oil had risen again to $127 per barrel, following threats from Russia that it would reach $300 a barrel.
Rama said that it is unknown how long the war will last, meaning “we are in the same conditions as with the pandemic when we did not know the duration, developments and dynamics and we had to prepare for some scenarios.”
On the topic of potential aggression against Albania, he said it was essential to “protect Albania from escalating aggression militarily. The goal is to protect ourselves.”
