The Croatian Ambassador to Albania, Zlatko Kramarič, commented from Pogradec on the protests in Albania, emphasizing that citizens have the right to freely express their needs and concerns. According to him, the protests should serve as a message to the government, which should be attentive to what citizens are demanding. Kramarič is in Pogradec as part of a project developed by the Croatian Embassy in cooperation with the Albanian Student Council. He said that the goal of this project is to present Croatia's experience in the steps leading up to membership in the European Union and to prepare the younger generation for this process.
The Ambassador praised the Albanian youth, stating that they are educated and ready to take responsibility in the economy and politics. According to him, it is precisely the new generation that can put an end to the Albanian transition. “The goal is not to play the role of a pedagogue, but to share our experience in this process,” said Kramariç, adding that Albania has a very high support for European integration.
Asked about the protests taking place in Albania, the Croatian ambassador said that protest is a fundamental right of citizens. "Protest is a right of citizens. There is no discussion about whether they have the right or not, but citizens should be free to express their needs and desires. This is a message for the government. Every government should receive the message that goes to it in terms of politics," he said.
Kramaric stressed that the protests also show how sensitive citizens are to various issues, including ecology, governance and the functioning of institutions. Regarding the reforms that Albania should undertake, the ambassador said that they should not be seen simply as obligations coming from Brussels, but as processes that should serve the citizens. “Reforms should not be seen as a type of fine, so they should not be seen as Brussels demands and should be done, because above all, it is the citizens who live in this country,” said Kramaric.
He underlined that in such processes there may be a need for compromises and agreements, while laws should be comprehensive and not selective. "The law should not be selective only for a part of the citizens. It is a matter of what is allowed for some and not allowed for others," the ambassador said, adding that the reforms undertaken within the framework of the EU integration process should be for the benefit of Albanian citizens.
Kramaric also spoke about the trial of the KLA leaders in The Hague. He recalled that he was the first Croatian ambassador to Kosovo after the declaration of independence and that at that time Hashim Thaci was the prime minister of Kosovo. "I am familiar with him. We can say that the court's decision should be accepted even though it may be painful. So we need to see both sides. On the one hand, the Thaci issue and on the other hand, the Kosovo issue," said the ambassador. According to him, a conviction of Thaci would not be good for the image of the state of Kosovo, but regardless of the decision, the responsibility for it does not belong to Kosovo as a state. "I hope that the process was not political, but fair," concluded Kramaric.
