FLASH
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In an analysis of the geopolitical situation, former ambassador Arben Çejku discussed the level of danger posed to Albania by Iran, especially after the warning issued a few days ago by the US embassy in Tirana.
In an interview for the show "Të Pashoj", on Pamflet's YouTube channel, former ambassador Çejku said that although the warning was not taken seriously by everyone, the danger remains real and requires constant vigilance.
Çejku explained that the threat must be seen in the context of the high security standards that the United States of America applies to its allies. He emphasized that Albania's clear official stances against the ayatollahs' regime, in support of the US, place the country in an exposed position. Other factors that increase this exposure, according to the former ambassador, are the sheltering of the Iranian opposition (MEK) in Albania, as well as the presence of secret services from unfriendly countries.
He noted a general tendency not to take these warnings seriously, comparing it to the attitude during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, this is not about being “cowardly”, but about the lack of collective responsibility towards major risks. Çejku stressed that state institutions must take long-term measures and not just sporadic ones.
Excerpt from the interview:
-In the first part we exhausted some of the questions, we will continue in this part with another guest, Arben Çejku, former ambassador. Good evening, welcome.
Arben Çejku: Good evening.
-Now, for starters, everything is happening in the Middle East. A few days ago, the war in Iran directly threatened us, especially from the message that the American embassy in Tirana distributed. It seemed that no one took it seriously from those who should have taken it. However, the good news is that the two-week ceasefire in Iran has already been activated and it seems that that warning is really something unbelievable at this moment, that is, can Albania really be threatened by Iran or is this track already excluded, referring to recent developments?
Arben Çejku : Look, it depends on the standards that the United States has for security issues, for its citizens, for the citizens of a friendly country, such as Albania in this case. We are an ally of the United States and we have aligned ourselves with them in this conflict with Iran. Albania's positions, that is, the official positions, have been clear in support of the United States and a kind of alignment against the ayatollahs' regime, but also the presence of the former Iranian opposition, the MEK, but also other issues related to the currents of the secret services of unfriendly countries. Well, all of these together have of course brought a kind of warning that must be taken into consideration, but the degree of alarm is another matter. We are not naturally very serious in these warnings, as we were during the Covid period, for example, when we were not serious. If not...
- Are we cowards?
Arben Çejku : We are not cowards. But we often do not have, we do not have that responsibility towards the great risks that may be. The Albanian state, the government and the institutions must of course take measures, not simply for three or four days. So, we must be aware that we are part of a coalition that is not a friendly country with Iran and with the friendly countries of Iran. So, we must distinguish this situation. Even from this perspective, the security agencies must take measures. The fact that no incident has occurred, uh, does not mean that we are not vigilant. We must be vigilant as long as we are aligned alongside the countries that today, in one way or another, have stirred up the hornet's nest that is the Middle East.
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