The Chairman of the Republican Party, Fatmir Mediu, has minimized the significance of the US State Department's declaration of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha as "persona non grata", calling it a political and not a legal decision.
In an interview for Euronews Albania, on the show "Review", Mediu said that Berisha is free to apply for a visa to visit the United States of America, underlining that "non grata is a useless story."
"Chris LaCivita was a campaign manager, with a management contract and prohibited by law from lobbying. He has emphasized that he is in constant contact with the American administration about what is happening in Albania and would not sacrifice this relationship to help Berisha. The American State Department, three days before the elections, emphasized that the decision-making on the 'non grata' status is political, with which we do not agree. Berisha is free to apply for a visa to come to the USA", declared Mediu.
According to him, the fact that Berisha has not applied for a visa so far is related only to personal will, as the procedure is open.
