Prime Minister Edi Rama has dismissed Arben Ahmetaj from his position as deputy prime minister in a decision made public on Monday (25 July).
The position will now be filed by Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku. It is not known yet who will take over Ahmetaj’s post as minister for state reconstruction as he has also been removed from this post.
“Energy as the most colossal challenge of this period and infrastructure as an uninterrupted national challenge, have today also become intensive relations with governments and international institutions. Time for the role of the deputy prime minister to focus on these areas,” Rama said.
Negotiator for EU Integration Zef Mazi has also been dismissed and replaced with Majlinda Dhuka who will be a Minister of State. Rama explained this was due to the fact that Albania’s priority is now EU membership over reconstruction from the 2019 earthquake.
“Now that the priority of Reconstruction gives way to the priority of Negotiations with the EU, the profile of the Minister of State changes. Majlinda Dhaka, a high technical profile instead of the high diplomatic profile of Ambassador Mazi, becomes Chief Negotiator & Minister of State under the Prime Minister,” announced Rama.
He thanked Ahmetaj for his contribution and said that it was “mission accomplished with a spectacular success for reconstruction”. As for Mazi, he said he was part of the contribution to the “great historical achievement of opening negotiations.”
