TIRANA, October 20 /ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama stated today that, “The Media and Information Agency is a mechanism to guarantee maximum transparency in relation to the media and every other claim is a false alarm.”
At the joint press conference with Head of the EU delegation in Tirana, Ambassador Luigi Soreca, Rama answered the question regarding the request of six international organizations for media freedom that the government should withdraw from establishment of this organization.
“You have no idea what you are talking about when you raise this concern. However, I am very ready to personally host all 6 organizations together with the director of the Agency, to sit down and talk as you wish, with or without cameras. You ask and we give you an account. And in the end, with an open mind, you will understand that this agency is the opposite of what you say, the complete opposite “, said Rama.
The prime minister stressed that, “The Agency will guarantee that if a media outlet encounters a problem with an institution and is prevented from receiving official information available, you should turn to this mechanism and say that the institution is obstructing us.”
“And this mechanism is set in motion for you. This is one side. For others you have such a big misunderstanding that it is really unfortunate “, said Rama.
The prime minister said that, “What is even more unfortunate is that before you speak Albanian with your government, spread false alarms, about ghosts that are in your imagination, that do not exist.”
“I promise you that if you, from the dialogue you will have, come to the conclusion that this Agency should be removed, I will remove it completely. I give you my word, but after you hear the arguments and after you bring a fact, a proof, an example, a reason, something that makes sense, then the Agency will merge. But on the contrary, you should write to all these people that you have alerted that “forgive us, it was a false alarm”, said Rama.
Whereas, Ambassador Soreca said that, “Today, we have discussed at length about the freedom of speech and expression and I believe that in the report you will find the answer to your question, which has to do exactly with the Agency for Media and Information”.
“What we say in the report is that the media should be given access, or access to government activities, to government institutions in a way that allows the media to do its job, a job that is essential to democracy”, said Soreca. /j.p/p.s./
