The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar warned that there will be consequences in case Sali Berisha is elected as the leader of the Democratic Party.
In an interview for Albanian local media News24, Escobar dismissed any form of contact with Berisha.
He explained that the decision to designate the Albanian former premier as persona non grata was something that was started since the Trump administration, rejecting claims that US billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros had anything to do with it.
The top US official said that the decision was not political, but rather institutional.
He also said that it is up to local institutions to investigate Berisha’s public designation.
“If you want a conviction, you must launch criminal proceedings. If you’re seeking punishment, you must convict the people that are involved in corruption, this has nothing to do with America fighting corruption in Albania, but with America supporting your war against corruption”, Escobar said.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State said that the US is ready to provide every evidence upon request from Albanian law enforcement authorities.
Earlier on, Escobar warned that there will be more public designations in the Western Balkans, but did not specify whether the US is planning to sanction any other Albanian politicians.
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