WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) issued on Thursday the following joint statement in the lead-up to the elections in Albania scheduled for this weekend:
“As Albania prepares for national elections on April 25, we encourage the Albanian people to vote. We urge authorities to ensure that voters are able to exercise this fundamental right free from intimidation and violence. We also expect all candidates to act in accordance with democratic norms even as they campaign vigorously. Albania’s friends in America are more committed than ever to supporting a democratic and prosperous future for the Albanian people.”
Today, Representatives Gregory W. Meeks and Michael McCaul, Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, followed suit with a very similar statement on the upcoming Albanian national elections:
“As Albania prepares for national elections on April 25, we urge the Albanian authorities to ensure that voters are able to cast their ballots free from bribery, intimidation, and violence. We also expect all leaders – those currently in office as well as those hoping to be elected – to act in accordance with democratic norms even as they campaign vigorously. Albania’s friends in America remain committed to supporting a democratic and prosperous future for the Albanian people.”