The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Albania, Mikhail Afanasiev placed the focus on the accusations against Russia of preparing a so-called “invasion of Ukraine”, Moscow’s retaliatory response and the negotiations of Russia with the Western partners, including the US and NATO, on the issue of security indivisibility initiated by the Russian side in a press conference for the Albanian media held in the premises of the Embassy in Tirana on Friday. “Given that the West’s assessments are known to you, we will talk about Moscow’s positions,” he said.
A series of alarming statements have been made by some Albanian politicians. The scale of pre-war rhetoric has crossed limits, so we considered it necessary to hold a meeting with media representatives in a briefing format for elaborating the generalized position on the current crisis in relations between Russia and the West, its causes, the negative impact on the architecture of security in Europe and the world, as well as the possible consequences, said the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Tirana, Afanasiev.
Despite the general European agreements, fixed in the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, the Paris Charter for a New Europe in 1990, the Istanbul Declaration in 1999 and the OSCE Declaration in Astana in 2010, all signed by the European countries, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has brought closer to the borders of Russia the political infrastructure and, most importantly, the military one over the past 30 years, endangering the security not only of our country, but also of Europe on the whole, Afanasiev said.
The ambassador called the situation inside Ukraine an artificial crisis which is worsening thanks to certain Western states trying to divide the historically united peoples of Russia and Ukraine, as well as to create a hotbed of destabilization in Europe by complicating relations between European Union countries and Moscow.
“We are convinced that without the Western “help”, the conflict in eastern Ukraine would have been resolved in time. Even the conflict that started with the coming to power of the nationalists would most likely not have existed,” said the Ambassador.
While once again he emphasizes the fact that the West is threatening Russia’s security.
“The West, led by the United States, under the pretext of providing assistance to Ukraine to reflect the “imminent aggression” by Moscow, took a decisive course in the military assimilation of its territory and its return to a ground of its offensive weapons directed against Russia. The goals are high: the flight time of ballistic missiles and those with wings to the most important strategic objects of our country is 6-8 minutes,” says Afanasiev.
Asked by reporters about the letter sent to the Albanian government by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the expected response from the Albanian side, the ambassador stressed that first this letter was sent to the block of NATO member countries and so in case of a negative response from each of these countries, including Albania, will not have possible consequences. So not in the form of sanctions but a response en block.
Regarding the Kucova Air Base, which is being transformed into a NATO air base in the Western Balkans, the Russian Ambassador said that initially this base has been used by the USSR, while emphasizing that the NATO Base in Kucova is a continuation of the NATO course for the enlargement of the Alliance. However, this does not pose a direct threat to Russia as in this case the security of one state is not at the expense of another state, he said.
Asked byArgumentum.al about the principles of the Helsinki Final Act on security and confidence-building measures where the US accuses Russia and Russia accuses the US of violating or deviating from them that which are the most concrete differences and objections of the Russian party, the Ambassador said:
Security indivisibility is the key element agreed upon in several Acts, be it the Helsinki Final Act but also through other updated Declarations like; The Paris Charter for a New Europe in 1990, the Istanbul Declaration in 1999 and the OSCE Declaration in Astana in 2010, etc.
Also the statement signed by OSCE members, including Albania, when it was signed by the Prime Minister of Albania in 1999 and by the President of Albania in 2010.
Therefore, the Albanian side should take into account the documents signed by Albania in Astana for the review of the letter of the Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, stressed the Russian Ambassador, Mikhail Afanasiev. / Argumentum.al
