Prime Minister Edi Rama said recent developments surrounding an investigation and the detention of a former director of Albania’s State Intelligence Service, SHISH, have not affected the country’s standing with its European partners.

Speaking at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Tirana, Rama said that questions arising from the investigation should be left to Albania’s judicial institutions rather than being judged through selectively released investigative material.

Rama argued that developments that have generated public debate in Albania are viewed differently by the country’s European partners.

“I would ask you to ask yourselves why the EU and the European Commission see events that here are treated as reasons to attack and spread waves of despair as reasons to consider Albania a very serious partner,” Rama said.

He said the investigation would ultimately establish whether there had been any actions affecting national security or Albania’s international partners.

“This is an issue that I think should be left to the court, not to sporadic readings of investigative materials that are released to confuse public opinion,” Rama said.

He added that concerns about the case had not been raised with his government by international partners.

“Such a concern, coming to us from distributors of materials released through unofficial channels, has not come from any international partner,” Rama said.

Rama said he expected Albania’s prosecution and courts to carry out their work and that the outcome of the proceedings would ultimately provide clarity on the allegations.

“I expect the prosecution and the court to do their job and, in the end, for the result to emerge,” he said.