Prime Minister Edi Rama levied criticism at the European Union over its management of COVID-19 vaccine distribution during a panel where he spoke at the Bled Conference in Slovenia on Monday.
He referred to the period of the pandemic when vaccines first became available and were being distributed to EU member states leaving many others out in the cold.
“I hope and wish the EU will be much more open, to create a more inclusive space when facing the dramas…They cannot do it anymore, what they did during the pandemic. Vaccines were distributed everywhere. We have relatives everywhere, so we saw everything, and they didn’t even get some vaccines for our nurses,” he said.
But the criticism did not end there.
“In every speech, you say let us help the Balkans to be with us and not have interference from third actors, but for vaccines, Serbia turned to China and Russia, we ran to Turkey, and without Erdogan, we would have more fatalities this is reality, I hope that Europe learns its lessons”, said Rama.
He continued and called the actions of the EU a “shameful mistake” as “they just thought about how to distribute vaccines amongst themselves.”
“And we are in the middle of Europe. We are the ‘E’ although we are not EU. We are surrounded by EU borders, but when we are in trouble, we are on our own.”
The EU did eventually take action and start supplying Albania with vaccines, but this was months after supplies had already been secured from Turkey and Russia in the form of Sinovac and Sputnik, with the first vaccine being given in January 2021.
Rama also spoke about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the fallout worldwide, including cost-of-living increases and the energy crisis, adding that the EU expects Albania and others to side with them but does little to help them combat the consequences.
That said, Rama added that “We have harmonised with the EU’s foreign policy since the first day, and we will continue…We have no other choice….we have to be patient. We have to keep going. The EU is the only safe haven for countries like us.”
“There is only one destination, the European Union, being this century or next century, in the other, and as I said, we will go there, even if there is not anybody anymore, we will go there!”
Touching on the topic of enlargement and the war in Ukraine, Rama was not overly optimisic that it would change much for the Western Balkans.
“I don’t believe what is happening will make Europe accelerate accession, for geopolitical reasons.”
