Education Minister Mirela Kumbaro has condemned violence during student protests in Tirana after a fire severely damaged the ground floor of the Ministry of Education.

In her first reaction to the incident, Kumbaro said the damage affected offices, equipment and documents, leaving the ground floor unusable until repairs are completed.

The minister stressed that student protests and vandalism are fundamentally different, expressing respect for students’ right to demonstrate and demand greater action from public institutions while firmly rejecting attacks on buildings and public employees.

Despite the damage, Kumbaro said ministry staff would continue working and that the institution remained open to dialogue with students, universities and parents.