Shortly before the start of today’s opposition protest, Western embassies have issued similar statements calling on the opposition to restrain from violence and condemn violent acts, as well as the police to act with restraint.
The statements of the embassies of the US, Great Britain, Germany and Italy, also posted on the social media accounts of the EU Delegation and OSCE, all condemned the violent acts in Saturday’s opposition protest. They also called on the opposition leaders to publicly condemn these acts, and cooperate with authorities investigating to identify the perpetrators.
The Western embassies in Tirana denounced the intimidation of the OSCE Ambassador Bernd Borchardt by a group of protesters as unacceptable.
They reminded the government of its responsibility to act with restrained during the protests, including when responding to provocations.
The statements added that violent protests are damaging the reforms and Albania’s prospects for progress on the EU path.
Finally, the embassies underlined that violence and rhetoric are not the answer to solving the political crisis. Instead, they urged both sides to step back from confrontation and engage in a constructive dialogue.
