Italian ambassador on political developments / Alberti: the situation is being followed closely, but it is not the ambassador’s duty to comment

Italy’s Ambassador to Albania, Marco Alberti, during a visit to Korça also spoke about the protests and recent political developments. He said the situation is being followed closely, but stressed that it is not the duty of a foreign ambassador to comment on the country’s political developments.

“We observe the protests in the square, but it is not for the ambassador to comment on these issues. I think the country is facing an important phenomenon and we are observing it. We do not comment since these are issues related to bilateral relations and are not issues on which the embassy comments,” said Marco Alberti, Italy’s Ambassador to Albania.

Asked about the issue related to Vlora Hyseni, Alberti said the embassy focuses on bilateral cooperation and cannot give a position on this topic. He announced that Italian investments in Albania reach about 1 billion euros, while new investments are expected to create 600 to 700 jobs.

“We are working to give bilateral relations a very strategic content. I believe that today in Albania there are Italian investments exceeding 1 billion euros. There are investments that will create and enable 600 to 700 new jobs, as well as investments in strategic sectors that were not present before. For example the digital sector in artificial intelligence, as well as in healthcare — for Italy today it is important to give relations with Albania a strategic content because we believe that also through the development of the economic sector we can help Albania in its negotiations for EU membership, which for us is an absolute priority,” the ambassador underlined. From Korça, Alberti also stressed the importance of creating opportunities for young people to stay, work and contribute in Albania.