In answer to a request by the Albanian Shqiptarja.com, PM Rama turned down as untrue the article that the “La Repubblica” carries about an angry phone call, an article that as he put it, even the Italian newspaper itself deleted.

“I say, there has been no phone call with “RAI 3” director, but only a request for a phone call about the scandalous slander on the “Report” broadcast, an episode on Albania as seen through the eyes of the notorious serial slanderers of Tirana while the Italian journalist with his epic shamelessness didn’t publish anything from the answers that the Secretary-General of the government had sent in writing to his questions in writing, but appeared in a Tirana sewage speaking about the refusal of the victim to give an answer”, said Rama.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said that, “The Secretary-General of the government, who will sue the slanderer for the false statements, has answered to all his questions in writing within the deadline he had set and in his address.”

“The request for the phone call was only related to this documented and terrible fact about a television screen that is paid by the taxes of the Italian people and that got engaged in a shameful episode of smearing Albania, the same as it happened years ago when the Albanians appeared in the Italian media only as murderers, traffickers, prostitutes and thieves, while Albania as the crime den of Europe”, said Rama.

“It has been years since I used to get scandalized by this criminal approach in the name of media freedom, but I repeat, I did not have a single angry phone call with the director of “RAI3”, with whom I could speak quite calmly only after the routine lie, which had also come out in “La Repubblica” (which deleted the lie) and on the “Syri” TV of Tirana, where, of course, by the very nature and mission of the channel, the lie remained with its countless sworn enemies of every success of Albania”, stressed the prime minister./m.m/p.s./

“I also don’t agree with the claim of the report that, ‘Media freedom in Albania is at question’.

PM Rama argued saying that in Albania happens that one can say whatever wants and gets no reaction.

PM Rama emphasized that although he didn’t agree, “The European family is guided by some concepts that we should embrace”.

In answer to question on the “anti-slander” package, Rama stated that the government has not taken the process forward. He added that the government has not any influence on public television.

“The Albanian public television has never been more independent while the government has no influence or communication with it”, said PM Rama.

Further on, the prime minister said that under these circumstances the government listens and adopts itself.

“I say, the freedom of slander in Albania is high and cannot compare with any other country. Is this the media freedom?”, said PM Rama./j.p/p.s./

During a television interview, Mazniku argued that it is a great damage that is being done to all public officials in the country who are being slandered with false accusations.

“I have already filed a lawsuit to court for slander because I believe it is very important that people who stand behind a screen and cheat on public servants pose a problem not only for me. It is a matter of concern that people think strange things and it is in fact a great damage done to all officials in the country when they cast mud and things said are not true,” said Mazniku. /j.p/r.e/p.s./