The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Albania has responded to recent statements by Albania’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Blendi Gonxhja, and the head of the Socialist Party’s Parliamentary Group, Taulant Balla, who suggested that Russia could be among the actors influencing the ongoing protests in the country.

In an official statement, the Russian Embassy dismissed the allegations as “completely unfounded,” expressing surprise over the remarks made by Albanian officials as well as media reports that, according to the embassy, have echoed the same narrative.

According to the embassy, Russia strictly adheres to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, respecting the choices of their peoples and cooperating with governments elected through legitimate democratic processes.

“Russia strictly follows one of the fundamental principles of its foreign policy: non-interference in the internal affairs of foreign states. Moscow has always respected the will of the people and works with legitimately elected governments. We wish the Albanian people success and prosperity, regardless of the current political climate and the present state of bilateral relations,” the statement said.

The embassy added that this was not the first time Albanian politicians had attempted, in its view, to attribute a so-called “malign Russian influence” to Albania’s domestic political developments.

“We regret to note that this is not the first time Albanian politicians have tried to convince the public, without any factual basis, of the existence of a so-called ‘malign Russian influence.’ We call for a more responsible approach to such statements and urge everyone to refrain from searching for enemies where none exist,” the Russian Embassy concluded.