Russia's ambassador in Tirana, Alexander Karpushin is invited yesterday in an Albanian TV show.
Asked to comment on speculation that Russia is looking to add impact in the region is is fueling anti-EU flows, he said that "the Balkans remains a region where the West for unknown reasons sees it as an area of provocative actions of Russia.""As a result, any Russian effort to build normal relations with the Balkan countries become immediately subject to an unusually great concern to Western politicians, who then come up with unhealthy reactions and even Russian phobia opinions. Unfortunately in the region, including Albania, is raised a speculation over the so-called Russian threat that seems like a planned campaign that aims to discredit our country in the eyes of those are found of it, " he said.
He reacts, as he says about the baseless allegations of the involvement of Russia in the assassination of Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, about "the hand of Moscow" in destabilizing the situation in Macedonia and the responsibility of Russia for the slow progress of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.
"Furthermore, they have already begun to intimidate the Albanian citizens with Russian hackers who allegedly were preparing to intervene in the 18 June parliamentary elections. I think this is quite ridiculous," he added.
"The West should stop using the Balkans as its geopolitical games and forgo NATO-centrism ideology"./Oculus News