Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha has supported his predecessor Sali Berisha’s call on the US administration to present evidence for their allegations of corruption against the latter.
In his reaction to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s banning of Berisha and his family from entering the US, Basha said he was saddened by the news, and stressed Berisha’s claim that the US allegations against him are groundless.
“I call for full transparency on all facts and documents related to this decision,” Basha wrote on his Facebook account on Wednesday.
He praised former President Sali Berisha for his contribution to strengthening democracy and US-Albania relations during his political career that spans three decades.
Similar to Berisha’s reaction, Basha also noted his former leader’s achievements as prime minister, namely making Albania a NATO member, advancing its EU accession bid, fighting corruption and organized crime in cooperation with the United States. In all these areas Albania’s progress has stalled in the last 8 years of Socialist rule, Basha remarked.
Basha said Blinken’s decision does not affect Berisha’s achievements and relations between the Democratic Party and the United States.
He concluded by stressing that the US is the most important strategic ally of Albania, and the fight against corruption and organized crime is an absolute national priority for the PD.
