Prime Minister Edi Rama clarified this Sunday his critics against EU Countries regarding the anti-coronavirus vaccines, specifically, his mentioning of France for which the latter's Embassy in Albania reacted harshly a day ago.

PM Rama criticizes EU Countries, and specifically France, for maintaining the vaccines in stock and not sharing them with countries like Albania. 

"We do not need EU money because we have prepaid. Ambassador Soreca may have misunderstood me, but my criticism against the European Union remains. I have criticized some EU countries that have turned selfishness into a system. France has made a few thousand, while there are many more. What is the point of having stock and not telling these 6 Balkan countries that you also get some? What did it cost them? Nothing. That has been my criticism," PM Rama had declared.

But this caused the harsh reaction of the French Embassy in Albania, which described as inappropriate the Albanian Premier's attack on EU -the main supporter of Albania.

"Last night in a television broadcast, Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania, clearly accused the member states of the European Union of selfishness and cynicism. This embassy recalls that every year, the EU is the largest donor in Albania with more than 100 million euros in various sectors. 

Regarding the pandemic, the European Commission announced on January 8 that the EU's global portfolio of 2.3 billion doses was not only for the EU but also for neighboring countries. Funding was provided to the Western Balkan countries with 70m euros from the IPA program. 

As France achieves its goal of one million vaccinated people by the end of January, the Prime Minister raised the question of why France should have a stock of vaccines that it cannot use, rather than share them with others. 

Apart from the untrue nature of this information, but which can be very sensitive to people's minds, this embassy considers that it is not appropriate to attack a friendly and allied country in this nominative way", it is said in the reaction of the French embassy on Saturday.

PM Rama reacted again this Sunday and explained: "I have not attacked any ally, much less France in this case! I have not forgotten and I do not forget that the European Union has helped Albania since our country came out of the prison of dictatorship until today. On the contrary, I have valued the European Union, for a thousand and one reasons, including without a doubt the invaluable assistance it has given to Albania for 30 years now. 

I have talked about a concrete issue in a concrete situation, regarding the vaccine and I do not change my statements! Leaving out the countries of our region in the distribution of the vaccine against Covid by the EU, there is no excuse in any plan and this is understood by anyone who pretends not to understand! 

While the complaint of the French embassy since I illustrated my opinion by bringing the example of France (as I could bring other examples) is unrelated to my position and specifically to the behavior of the example of France, to illustrate the idea that there was no reason not to give our countries some doses for doctors at least when they can not be used all at once in any EU country! 

France is not only one of the most wonderful countries in the world and the most advanced in Europe in every way, not just a friend and ally of Albania, but also a special place in my heart and mind, as is the EU -a destination of Albania and Albanians. 

The complaint of the French embassy does not change anything in any direction, just as the right to think differently applies as always to both France and Albania in this case; as for the drafters of the complaint on behalf of France, as for me speaking on behalf of Albania.

But let me tell you (referring to a citizen who asked him in social media regarding the debate with French Embassy) in a friendly way that by taking the complaint of the French embassy out of context, you are wrong just as the French embassy was wrong by taking out of context what I said! 

A beautiful folk saying says that true friendship does not have all the words of honey, so neither you nor the embassy should be upset, because I am not upset despite listening to all kind of things."