“We do not share this information with anyone”, declared the Ambassador of the United States to Albania in response to the remarks made by Lulzim Basha over subsequent public designations expected to follow suit.

In an interview on Now with Erla Mehilli, Ambassador Yuri Kim asserted that the process is “highly confidential” so it would come as a surprise if such information is based on credible evidence.

“Look, almost every week, okay, not every week but every month, I see some article or a journalist writing: I know who will be the next persona non-grata. With all due respect, this is a very confidential process and I would be very surprised if their statements were based on factual and reliable information… We do not share this information with anyone”, Kim said.

Ambassador Kim reiterated US support for tackling corruption and emphasized that all leaders will be held accountable for their actions.

“If you’re involved in corruption, if you abuse with the power of the authority and abuse with public trust, now is the time to stop and think about the consequences. Now is a good time to weigh whether what you are doing is worth the price that you will have to pay. Justice is coming, and if anything, the designations made by the United States, last year and this year, demonstrate that everybody will be held to account. No one is above the law. No one”, emphasized Ambassador Kim.

The decision to expel Sali Berisha from the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party belongs entirely to Lulzim Basha, said the ambassador as she clarified that the only thing the US did was to offer DP’s chair information on what does the designation insinuate, as well as its repercussions.

“In this sense, we’ve made it very clear that if the Democratic Party, or any party, is ruled or represented by someone who has been publicly designated by the State Secretary for significant corruption, then you cannot expect normal ties. That’s all we did, we offered information”, said the American diplomat.