By Sali Berisha

Expressing my high consideration for the US Department of State and Spokesman Ned Price, I’d like to underline the following:

First, in my knowledge, criticism is not attack. I have criticized US Ambassador’s attitude and declarations which from my point of view are not in accordance with the country’s laws and the Convention of Vienna. I think the interpretation of criticism as attack is not right because it is a clear form of diplomatic bullying.

Second, the Albanian people love very much the great American people and its government. They have done more than anybody else for the freedom and sovereignty of Albania and Kosovo.

Third, Albanians a free and sovereign nation and NATO member want to elect themselves and with their own votes, pursuant to the Country’s laws, their representatives, be it in the parliament or in the lead of their parties. They do not expect from anyone, even less from the representatives of the country that has done more for their sovereignty, to dictate them which MP elected by them should enter and which one should not enter the parliament; nor do they expect them to get involved in puppets games in campaigns within the parties to support a candidate now abandoned by the membership on account of his affairs.

Fourth, Albanians suffered more than any other nation from the Dictator Enver Hoxha’s Stalinist dictatorship which used to say “we’d better eat grass rather than subordinate ourselves to the United States”. So I see the use of Dictator Hoxha’s expression by no other than the US representative to threaten the members of the Democratic Party which 30 years ago overthrew the Hoxhist dictatorship as a collective and unacceptable insult, and it deserves a public apology.

To the free people, arrogance is no virtue.

Fifth, Albanians know the United States strength stands most of all on the freedoms that the laws and the Constitution guarantee to the citizens of this great country and they get inspiration by that model. They expect the United States representative to encourage the freedom of speech and media instead of asking the reporters to censor the political activity of domestic MPs and politicians.

Sixth, the United States gave precious help to Albania in the fight against corruption and in the 30 years of democracy, according to uncontestable documents, no one fought the corruption and organized crime in Albania more than Sali Berisha did.

Eight years after his departure from power, Albania is the first and only narco-country in Europe. According to DOS reports, Albania is considered as an operative center of the criminal organizations from the region, Europe, North and South America, and Middle East. According to World Bank reports, my country was second in the world classification of bribery incidence.

Despite all this, in a unique case in history, Secretary Blinken, misinformed by the corruptive lobbying of Edi Rama and his protector George Soros, on May 19, 2021, designated Sali Berisha as persona non grata due to involvement in significant corruption.

This is a unique case in the world history when a person is declared non grata eight years after stepping down from any leading function, and despite having no accusation of corruption ever by any domestic or foreign institution against him or his family, and three weeks after his party lost in the elections.

Considering such a decision as totally baseless and an authentic political vendetta of the Albanian democracy’s and my foes Edi Rama and George Soros, I filed a lawsuit against Secretary Blinken in the Correctional Court in Paris.

For the sake of transparence, I invite you to bring to the court where I filed my lawsuit for defamation any fact, evidence or document that you or any person or institution on earth possess to prove the accusations and your absolutely baseless decision.

In the end, I’d like to assure you Mr. Price that Albanians in general and the Democrats in peculiar are proudly and gratefully expecting the 100^th anniversary of the relationship between our two nations. They remain determined to give their contribution in the coming 100 years as well.