The original headline, ‘Albanians used false papers for settlement scheme,’ unfairly generalized the actions of three individuals to an entire nationality.

The Albanian Embassy reacted arguing that the headline was unfair, inaccurate and stigmatizing.

While these individuals must face justice, blaming an entire nation for their actions is unfair. It only spreads false stereotypes about the thousands of honest Albanians who work hard and contribute positively to British society, the Albanian Embassy argued.

Further on, the BBC changed the headline into, “Trio used false papers for settlement scheme”. /p.s./

According to the BBC, the site is believed to be the oldest known lakeside palafit (pile-dwelling) settlement in Europe, with evidence suggesting that a community of hunters and early farmers lived there as far back as 8,000 years ago.

PM Rama noted that Albanian and Swiss archaeologists, interviewed by the BBC, continue daily work on the site, diving up to three meters deep to excavate the remains.

“So far, less than 1% of the settlement has been uncovered,” he said, adding that artifacts such as wood samples, bones, ceramics, and other materials have already been retrieved.

Experts from the University of Bern and the Albanian Institute of Archaeology estimate that the site was inhabited between 6000 and 2000 BCE, making it Europe’s earliest known pile-dwelling community.

/m.m//r.e/u.sh/

The prime minister said the following:

“There is a disturbing situation in Northern Kosovo, but I would not give it much emphasis in terms of danger. I say, this situation has been provoked first by the Serbs abandoning the institutions, so, practically creating a vacuum. And secondly, by Kosovo authorities insisting to put these mayors in empty buildings in an area where majority of the population is by far Serbian. So, it was very good to hold elections and to show that no one can kidnap the democratic process in the independent Republic of Kosovo, but it was not a good idea to insist that these four mayors had to enter the empty building protected by the police and then KFOR soldiers coming in and being unjustly injured.”

In answer to question whether he pointed the finger of blame on Albin Kurti, PM Rama said:

“I am not here to point the blame on anyone. I am simply trying to answer your question. The broader picture is far more optimistic because Serbia and Kosovo, thanks to Albin Kurti and Alexander Vucic are now to the closest point to seal an historical deal. I believe that the fact that the deal is so near, based on the French-German proposal for mutual recognition to end game, has also somehow frustrated both. So, it’s just like a young couple at the door of the church before getting married have second thoughts.”

Further on, PM Rama said: “I think there is no way that this deal will not happen. The only question is when. Yesterday, at the EU Political Committee summit in Moldova, especially the French president and German Chancellor expressed the firmness that Kurti and Vucic should sit down and close the deal.”

According to PM Rama, “The EU and the USA are not trying to appease Serbia, (as PM Kurti said), but they are trying to bring Kosovo to another level. It means, a state that is recognized by everyone, a state that can sit in the UNO and other institutions.

It’s true that the aggression came from the Serbs. But, it’s also true that sending these mayors against the true advice of everyone, i.e. the friends and partners of Kosovo, without whom Kosovo would not be the one it is today, was really too much of a step.”

PM Rama concluded by saying that, “I think Serbia has ceased to be a danger for Kosovo since 1999, has lost Kosovo for good since 1999 and it’s time for peace, normalization, it’s time to sit down and give Serbia what it has got in the deal, i.e. the Association of Serbian municipalities and the right of the Orthodox Church of Serbia to have its life in Kosovo. And on the other hand, Serbia must give up and understand that Kosovo is gone and accept the mutual recognition.”/p.s./

Asked if the bilateral agreement is reducing the number of Albanians arriving in Great Britain via the English Channel, Rama said that “this is a complex issue”.

“Albanians are not just the people of the boats, the same like British people are not just James Bond or Mr. Bean,” said Rama.

He said that, “We are an important community here. And we are driving, constructing, cooking and even singing for you. So, it is a complex issue. It has to do with ambition and the need of the people in our part of the world to reach where they imagine can be quicker.”

Further on, he said that, “I am not here to comment on a British bill that has inflamed your public opinion. I am here to convey the message that Albania is an incredibly beautiful country and more and more British people and Europeans are visiting it. Albania has opened accession talks with the EU. So, we are in a different place from what we are described.”

PM Rama said that, “Unfortunately, we have seen ourselves and our community being singled out in this country for political purposes. And it has been a disgraceful moment for the British politics. But, I am satisfied with your prime minister. We have determined a clear path to tackle things together. Some rotten apples do not define the Albanian community here”.

He said he was referring to the statements of the Home Office Secretary./m.m/p.s./

This time it is the BBC World News, one of the most famous shows in the world on the treasures of the earth that promotes touristic Albania.

Prime Minister Edi Rama also shared in the social media the BBC advertising spot.

“One of the most famous shows in the world about the treasures of the earth, which has an audience of half a billion viewers a year, and on January 21-22 shows “Miracles of Albania” on the BBC WORLD NEWS channel, something unimaginable until Albania was a tourist destination. It started to take the form that we are giving it year after year”, emphasized Rama.

In the BBC spot, followers are invited to explore the beauties of Albania, from the amazing Roman cities, to the archeology of the early Middle Ages, from the jewels of the Ottoman civilization, to the brutal communist bunkers.

“I will discover the diverse culture of this enigmatic land”, is the invitation addressed to BBC followers.

Referring to official statistics, 7.5 million foreign tourists visited our country during 2022, entrusting Albania with their vacations, not only during the summer season but also during other seasons of the year.

The data says that there are 1.9 million more than in 2021 and 18% more than in 2019, which until now held the record of numbers.

Also, there were observed interesting data of new markets that are growing rapidly. 85% more visitors from England; 3.7 times more visitors from Spain; 2 times more visitors from Slovenia; 3 times more visitors from the Netherlands; 84% more visitors from Turkey; 2 times more from the Nordic countries; without forgetting the guests from Kosovo, Macedonia and entries from other Balkan countries. /j.p/p.s./

“For decades, few travellers knew anything about Albania’s golden beaches, wild mountains and Roman and Ottoman ruins. But in the years since the Balkan nation cautiously opened up to the world, it’s been wooing travellers keen to discover one of Europe’s last wild and least-explored corners”, is read in the article.

Rama emphasized that the article is an invitation perfumed with the scent of the sea, the flowers of the Alps and the impressive hospitality of the Albanians.

The prime minister also wrote that the article seems like a good omen for the international promotion of Albania in the season that starts very soon./p.s./

BBC: This evening I spoke to the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama. Why did he want to speak out?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I though it came a point where it was not impossible to not react, because it was really an embarrassment for our civilization to hear all kind of crazy words being thrown in the air like a normality and the word “invasion” was the peak.

BBC: Why do you think the British Home Secretary is using words like “invasion”?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: It is not about one person only, but it is about the climate that has been created and it is about finding scapegoats, and blaming others while it is quite obvious even from Tirana, which is not near London. It is all about failed policies and it is not about Albanians or aliens or gangsters, but it is about failed policies on borders and on crime.

BBC: What do you think they should do?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: It is not about what I think, but there are other clear examples, the very, very clear example of Germany, for instance. With Germany we had the very same problem some years ago. And Germany moved in the right direction. Germany never blamed Albania and German politicians never came out saying “oh, we are being invaded by Albanians” and so on and so forth, but they legislated about Albania being a safe country of origin.

BBC: What do you think the consequences of that might be for the Albanians settled in the UK?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Oh of course, this kind of language for sure doesn’t come for good. This kind of language is not a policy, is not a programme, is not a vision. This is nothing but fuelling xenophobia and targeting, singling out a community and practically going totally against the British tradition of integrating the minorities. It used to be a role model in this and now is becoming like, like –I don’t know- like a madhouse.

BBC: You seem pretty angry about this?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: No, I am not angry at all. I am a big admirer of the United Kingdom. I have friends that I am privileged to have there. I admire everything that Britain represents. But I really am disgusted about this kind of politics that at the end is doomed to fail.

BBC: That’s interesting. I want to ask you Prime Minister if you would be prepared to work with the UK, the UK government and UK agencies to clamp down these criminal gangs?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: We work with the UK agencies and it is not the UK, it is not the UK professionals the problem. The problem is this political rhetoric of nonsense. So I would say that if what we have already discussed  many times on bringing together our professional people, letting them do their work, sharing information and going after the real criminals, but not targeting the whole community like criminals, we could have been much more successful and we could have helped together these kids that are, as you said, manipulated by traffickers.

BBC: Are there failed policies in Albania, which might contribute to this as well?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I hear it very often with people saying that Albania is a country that has corruption and so on and so forth. Albania is not Britain, Albania is not Germany, but Albania is a country that has been for a long time the victim of the various empires. We never had one and we are on this new path towards becoming a functioning democracy and of course we have our problems. But again, not being in the EU network, we are not in the free labour market and that’s why people seek this kind of different ways. But if you are to see how many people of other nationalities come a go in and from countries like yours, then the reason is elsewhere. The reason is exactly the same like young British kids from Britain’s remote areas and outskirts find the need and the push to leave their home, to leave their village, to leave their peripheral grey and hopeless areas and come to London. Albania has more hope then.

/u.sh/

“I thought it came a point where it was impossible to not react because it was really an embarrassment for our civilization to hear all kind of crazy words being thrown in the air like normality and ‘invasion’ was the peak,” said Rama.

“It’s about the climate that has been created, and it’s about finding scapegoats and blaming others.”

“While it’s very obvious, even from Tirana, which is not so near to London, that it’s about failed policies, it’s not about Albanians or aliens or gangsters, but it’s about failed policies on borders and on crime.”

Asked what the consequence of this language might be for Albanians settled in the UK, he said: “It doesn’t come for good. This kind of language is not a policy, is not a programme, is not a vision, is nothing but to fuelling xenophobia and targeting, singling out community and practically going totally against the great British tradition of integrating the minorities”.

“Britain was a role model in this and now is becoming like, I don’t know, like a madhouse.”

“I’m not angry at all. I’m a big admirer of the United Kingdom. I have friends that I’m privileged to have there, and I admire everything that Britain represents.”

“But, I really am disgusted about this kind of politics that at the end is doomed to fail,” said Rama.

Asked whether he would be happy to work with UK government and agencies to clamp down on the trafficking gangs, he said his country works with UK agencies already.

“It’s not the UK great professionals. The problem is this political rhetoric of nonsense,” Rama said.

However, according to her, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to destabilize the region will fail.

President Osmani stated that Kosovo has never and it will never contribute to any escalations or violence.

“Tensions are escalating. However, preparations have been made by Serbia, aided by Russia for quite some time now in a bid to escalate the situation in the Western Balkans in general and in Kosovo in particular in the past decade when Vucic has been running Serbia, and especially in the past couple of months, when Serbia kept supporting illegal structures in north Kosovo. Such structures are made of criminal gangs,” President Osmani said.

The head of state pointed out the fact that Kosovo borders a neighbour that is fully controlled by Russia.

“Kosovo has never and it will never contribute to any escalations or violence. However, we need to understand that we border a neighbour that is fully controlled by Russia. They are fighting our democratic way of life and the values that lie in the very foundations of our independent state,” she said.

Osmani  said that Putin’s efforts to destabilize the region through Serbia will fail and stated that no one should fall prey to the Russian and Serbian propaganda.

/u.sh/

In an interview with the BBC’s Ben Boulos, the government head noted that it was just 30 years ago when Albanians were the Afghans seeking to flee their own hell and reach Europe.

“We have been invited to host them temporarily and they will then probably be able to reach U.S., but in the meantime we know that the situation is quite complicated and with so many people applying for U.S. visa it may take more than what was said. In the meantime, we are ready to welcome them if they want to stay longer or even if they wish to settle in Albania, they can actually do so,” Prime Minister Edi Rama said.

The BBC journalist noted that the situation for many Afghan evacuees is very desperate to have had fleeing their homes at a very short notice, carrying as little as they could manage in their hands. Boulos asked about Albania’s efforts to provide for the Afghan refugees when they arrive in the country.

The government head said: “We have been experiencing similar situation not long ago. Just 30 years ago we were the Afghans trying to get out of our own hell and reach Europe through Italian coast. We are doing something and we are very keen to doing it, because it is about honouring our history and tradition, our own selves and, in the meantime, we are also doing something that, I believe, we owe our kids to grow up believing that in this life there is a time to give and there is a time to get.”

In the meantime – he went on saying – “I repeat the fact that Albania is not a rich country, but I am very confident that we have enough to share with these people and we will be together.”

As far as the assistance to these people is concerned, PM Rama noted that Albania is not alone in providing help to Afghan refugees, as many international humanitarian organizations are joining this humanitarian mission.

“For the moment we are relying on cooperation with people that have a wealthy heart. Similarly, there is a considerable number of people from the United States, Great Britain and elsewhere that have a wealthy heart. We have a saying in Albania: heart, bread and salt. This is the very core of solidarity. They will never miss heart, bread and salt, while we will arrange for the rest. We won’t disappear from the face of the world just because refugees, who are trying to escape death, are knocking on our doors. We welcomed half a million people during the horrible time of the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Half a million of our brothers and sisters from the other side of the border came in Albania. Back then we were much poorer and in much more difficult conditions. But, here we are. Even I thing we became richer morally, we got richer in our spirit and we learned that in this life memory is very important. And may be being too rich is also about losing some part of the memory,” he said.

Speaking about meeting with Afghan refugees, who have arrived in Albania, PM Rama said that they were really exhausted.

“They were practically looking like coming out of a very hellish tunnel. They said few thankful words, yet we were not there to get their thanks, but we were there to tell them that they could feel at home. We simply did what we would have wished others would have done for us. It is a very fulfilling moment for our country. I think that the majority of Albanians are showing themselves extraordinary in remembering who we are and in understanding that we owe this to our own children,” he stated.

/a.a/u.sh/