Speaking to journalist Rudina Xhunga on the “Flasim Shqip” podcast, Rama said Albania had advanced cyber-defence capabilities and was working with international partners to verify evidence before attributing malicious cyber activity.

“We now have cyber-defence technology that is ‘top of the top’ and significant capabilities to identify malicious activity,” Rama said.

He said Albania had a case file on the activity but that any attribution of a cyberattack required cooperation with other actors to verify the findings before publicly identifying those responsible.

Turning to the Sazan debate, Rama said artificially created profiles had been used to amplify various narratives online.

“They do not exist. They are created in laboratories and give voice to different narratives,” he said.

Rama said the experience had shown how thousands of artificially generated accounts, using Albanian names and identities, could increase tensions in the country’s digital space.

He also said some narratives surrounding the protests sought to fuel religious and ethnic divisions by linking the Sazan and Zvërnec investments to Albania’s relations with Israel.

Rama rejected claims that the Zvërnec investment was linked to the Israeli state, saying its main investors were two Syrian brothers who are Qatari citizens.

He said criticism of Israeli policies was legitimate but should not undermine Albania’s relations with Israel, while also highlighting the role of Albanian Muslims and Christians in protecting Jews during World War Two.

“Thanks to Muslims and Albanians, all the Jews here were saved,” Rama said.

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