Prime Minister Edi Rama has responded to allegations by Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, who claims the government leader ordered his transfer to Fier prison as punishment for organizing protests.

Speaking to reporters alongside the European Union Ambassador to Albania, Rama avoided directly addressing the accusations, instead comparing them to “the noise of cars coming and going along the boulevard.”

Asked whether he had threatened Veliaj and whether the mayor was behind the ongoing protests, Rama shifted the discussion to Albania’s progress toward European Union membership.

The prime minister described the European Commission’s progress report as a reflection of his government’s work, insisting that Albania had made significant progress despite what he called misinformation in the public sphere.

Rama said his government remained focused on the country's historic goal of joining the European Union, dismissing the controversy surrounding Veliaj as unimportant.

Veliaj, who remains in pre-trial detention, has accused Rama of being behind his transfer to Fier prison. The prime minister did not directly respond to the specific allegations.