“I will now share images that will certainly shock many people. For confidentiality reasons, the individuals’ identities have been protected, in accordance with the law. All those shown are now subject to investigations by the State Police and the Albanian justice system,” Rama said.

He said those detained during the protests had no connection with students supporting peaceful demonstrations over issues affecting their everyday lives.

“They are all individuals detained by the State Police during violent protests. They are not students; they are something else. They have nothing to do with the students who have not joined this wave of urban terror but are pursuing a peaceful protest focused on their everyday lives,” Rama said.

The prime minister added that some students were supporting the protests on social media because they saw violence as a way to put pressure on the government and state institutions.

“Unfortunately, they see violence as an opportunity to bring Albania’s elected government and its institutions to their knees and, ultimately, to force me to violate an agreement with the Albanian people in a way that is unacceptable,” he said.

Rama described those detained as part of the “criminal element of a protest” that he said had been glorified by what he called corrupt media outlets, celebrities and television personalities.

He accused some public figures of expressing concern for pensioners and students while receiving large sums of undeclared money and exploiting pension funds.

Rama stressed, however, that opposition to his government did not deprive students, citizens or ordinary families of their right to protest.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama posted Tuesday images showing “Peraj” guesthouse in Vermosh, a former private home transformed into a hotel-like lodging by two local young men, who decided not to abandon their homeland.

“In Albania’s northernmost tip, in beautiful Vermosh, Peraj guesthouse has been recently launched, designed with 4 small alpine lodges arranged one after the other, as if straight out of fairy-tale books. Kelmend’s stunning scenery and landscape with fresh air and lush and green areas invite you all to visit this guesthouse that is increasingly becoming a popular destination for both local and international tourists,” PM Rama said.

The government head noted that Peraj agritourism business has been jointly launched by the siblings Florid and Zef, who turned their private family home into a guesthouse, deciding to earn their living in their homeland, instead of seeking their fortune abroad.

A number of guesthouses and other agritourism projects have been developed through the assistance of the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency in the past few years.

The Albanian government has selected 100 villages nationwide to upgrade their infrastructure and public services and promote agritourism by offering incentives and grants to support local characteristic agriculture products.

Albania’s nascent agritourism sector can be developed by promoting both culinary tourism and farm stay accommodation units and agritourism can turn into a key driver of Albania’s emerging tourism industry.

Development of mountain tourism and advancing its effect in promoting social, economic and environmentally sustainable development in various destinations across Albania is one of the tourism sector’s top priorities as the country offers all-year-round tourism with a significant impact on economy and development of the rural areas.

Vermosh, the northernmost village of Albania around 100 km from the city of Shkodra and at an elevation of 1100 meters above the sea level, has become a significant Alpine tourist destination.

Vermosh is part of the Bjeshkët e Namuna (“Accursed Mountains”) or Albanian Alps, a mountain range in Northern Albania that extends to western Kosovo and Eastern Montenegro and the highest point of which, Maja Jezercë, lies 18.8 kilometers (12 miles) south of Vermosh, in the Theth and Valbona National Park.

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