Exlusively for Argumentum
By Genc Mlloja
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday that millions of people could die if the coronavirus keeps spreading, EUobserver quoted him on Friday as saying.
“If we let the virus spread like wildfire, especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world, it would kill millions of people,” he said, urging G20 countries to support those countries whose healthcare systems are weaker.
“Solidarity is not only a moral imperative, it is in everyone’s interests,” urged the top official of the UN, Antonio Guterres.
Albania Alone…
Analyzing the message by the highest dignitary of world’s common parliament with the strong appeal for solidarity as an imperative of these hard times it comes to my mind the gloomy picture offered to Albanians at the climax of the spread of the fearful virus by Albania’s PM Edi Rama who lamented distressfully that his country and people had been left alone in face of the storming Covid virus.
“Make up your mind as we are alone in this war for existence.” This has been the most pessimistic and straightforward confession made by Mr. Rama since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic a few days ago telling his compatriots that Albania had no one to reach out for help.
“We have no one to extend our hand to,” Mr. Rama said in a long interview on a local TV last Wednesday evening. “We are in front of a storm which can claim hundreds of thousands of lives, lying in hospitals or even gyms,” said the government head who shifted his public approach from an optimist claiming the country was not in any peril to a forewarner of very hard times.
Albania has been the most pro- American country and its people are the strongest supporters of EU hoping to join the Union after the opening of the accession talks this spring. Albania is also a NATO member country which has contributed, although modestly, in peace operations worldwide, including Afghanistan and Iraq something which has been appreciated by US and other authorities of the alliance.
Likewise the ambassadors of Albania’s strategic allies accredited in Tirana have been very active in the political, economic and social life of this Balkan country being prompt to express their approaches some of which have been critical towards any political force. Moreover it has been their say in the adoption of many important decisions for the country.
But it’s obvious a total silence on their part regarding the war that Covid-19 has ‘declared’ on Albania like in most of the countries of the world, and there is not any reaction by them on their tiny loyal ally’s fight against the pandemic.
Albanian PM tried to tame his disillusion on ‘being alone’ by saying that all countries have their own problems.
China pledges to stay by Albanians
But the only foreign envoy in Tirana who has extended public support to Albania has been the Chinese Ambassador, Zhou Ding in two public interviews on local TVs in a short span of time over the last day.
“Albania has proved its friendship for China in hard times and this friendship will be returned,” Ambassador Zhou said in an interview on a local TV on Thursday.
“I have always held close communication with the Albanian government, particularly with the Prime Minister and the Health Minister. During the difficult days of the epidemics in China, President Meta, PM Rama, Speaker Ruci sent solidarity letters to the Chinese leaders. Moreover the Mayor, Veliaj organized a solidarity activity in one of the Chinese restaurants in Tirana in cooperation with the Chinese Embassy for the fight against the pandemic,” said the Ambassador.
“Now that Albania is threatened by the pandemic we will stand by the Albanian people,” Beijing’s top envoy to Tirana said recalling the old saying: “Good friend is known in difficult time!”
Mr. Zhou revealed that they had received a request for help by the Albanian government and he confirmed that the Chinese side is studying it. “There will be a positive response,” he pledged.
Although a short time after the titanic battle with Covid- 19, which has been successfully won by Chinese people despite that it still goes on, Beijing’s authorities have not let alone their friendly countries like EU block, Italy, Spain, Serbia, Iran, and others which have asked for the Chinese help.
On Wednesday, China agreed to help the EU with “immediate shipments” of 2 million surgical masks, 200,000 N95 masks and 500,000 testing kits – but the amount stopped short of the 5 million surgical masks it gave Italy, which has seen the world’s worst outbreak after China, reported South Morning China Post.
“China has not forgotten that in January … the European Union helped,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter on Wednesday. “Today, we are the center of the coronavirus outbreak pandemic, and we need protective equipment ourselves. We are ramping up our production, we are converting new production lines, but this needs several weeks. And in the meantime, we are grateful for support from China,” von der Leyen said, after a phone call with Premier Li Keqiang.
PM Admits China’s Help Required; Gives Details on ‘C Plan’
The Albanian Premier admitted that a request for help had been extended to China during a TV interview last Wednesday. But he did not elaborate.
Instead he unveiled that in the case of a ‘dark’ scenario due to the coronavirus Turkey would be the guarantor of Albania.
In a state of high pressure it seems that Mr. Rama could not help telling his compatriots that he had placed a list of requests on the table of the Turkish President, which, as Rama said, “he (Erdogan) will fulfill in case that the world is overthrown and there will be no communication possibility at all with no one.” According to him, Turkey will guarantee Albania’s needs in the case of the ‘C Plan’.
Following attentively the mood of the people in Albania but also worldwide in the confrontation with the invisible deadly enemy named Covid-19 which is playing havoc with many countries, particularly in Europe, it is obvious that all of them, including pragmatic leaders, are overwhelmed by the feeling of existence and every effort is led by making use of any alternative to overcome the tragedy.
Examples are clear how even highly developed countries hit by the deadly virus have reached out their hands for support from anywhere breaking the cliché geostrategic frame. “Time does not wait; hence no aid should be refused, particularly when it the question of China, which has already passed this nightmare and its medical experience are the fundaments at these moments,” said the analyst, Marjana Doda in an article carried by the portal argumentum.al on Thursday.
PM Rama has said Albania is in war. Other leaders of more powerful countries have said the same. Under these pressing war circumstances when Albania is in total isolation in face of this spreading pandemic being eyed with extraordinary worry the people need leadership to survive. So in this war for existence as Mr. Rama called what is happening in the country, Albania cannot have the ‘luxury’ to wait for help coming from the sky… Rather all efforts should be exhausted to get help and expertise wherever they are available in this world. To refuse offered aid would be self-suicide to say the least and people will never forgive it. Covid-19 and countries’ behavior in face of it is rapidly showing that globalization has quickened its evolvement both ideologically and practically, in real life. There is no way but new forms of co-existence and cooperation are taking shape, a process which will be expanded and diversified, new contacts between people and countries will be established. Self-isolation was a curse for Albania for almost 5 decades (1945-1990), but let it be a lesson, although a bitter one, that diversification of friendly mutual relations is an immediate must, especially for small underdeveloped countries. The more so now when Albanians are haunted by Covid-19!
/argumentum.al/
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