Considering the tense situation in the Western Balkan region, with a series of countries facing stability issues, the Foreign Committee summoned a hearing session with Foreign Ministry representatives, to shed light on the crises in Macedonia, Montenegro and the Russian influence in the region.

The General Director for Political and Strategic Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, Ferit Hoxha, answered to Russia regarding their influence in Macedonia.

“Russia doesn’t share the same values with us, as regards NATO and the EU, as regards investments from the EU and other partner countries, and the assistance they are offering. They have another stance, we have another. We don’t think these stances have helped resolving the situation in Macedonia,” he said at the Foreign Committee.

Hoxha sent a clear message to the Macedonian political class: “Models which exclude Albanians or infringe their Constitutional rights will not be successful in Macedonia. The situation continues to be tense, institutionally blocked and with huge potential of deterioration even due to the nationalistic rhetoric recently with particular actors there, which have become broadly known through the media, while the situation risks degenerating into an inter-ethnic crisis.”

At the same time, he answered to accusations that the platform of Albanian parties in Macedonia was drafted in Tirana.

“There has never been a platform from Tirana in Tirana. Meetings with Albanian political leaders are very common, from Macedonia to Presheva or Montenegro,” Hoxha explained.

Ferit Hoxha spoke about the Russian attempts to stop Montenegro’s NATO accession.

“Russia cannot stop Montenegro’s NATO accession. Only member countries can do it, which I don’t think will happen,” he said.