Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramarić: Albanian Government Must Listen to Day 106 Protesters

 Croatia’s Ambassador to Albania, Zlatko Kramarić, said the Albanian government should listen to the message coming from the ongoing protests, which reached their 106th day on Sunday.

 

Speaking in Pogradec, Kramarić said citizens have the right to protest and freely express their needs and demands, adding that governments should pay attention to the political message coming from such demonstrations.

“Protest is a right of citizens. The issue is not 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 comes to it politically,” Kramarić said.

He also stressed that laws should not be applied selectively to benefit only one group of people.

Kramarić was in Pogradec as part of a project organized by the Croatian Embassy in cooperation with the Albanian Students’ Council. The initiative aims to present Croatia’s experience on its path toward European Union membership and prepare Albania’s younger generation for the integration process.

Asked about the ongoing trial at The Hague, the Croatian ambassador said any decision by the court should be accepted, even if it is painful.

“Because of the image of the state of Kosovo, it is not good for Thaçi to be convicted. Whatever the decision, it is not the responsibility of Kosovo,” Kramarić said.