Rama warns economic difficulties as a result of war in Ukraine

Albania's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, announced on Tuesday the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to cope with the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

“We are not in terms of a military threat, but we are like all other NATO countries... in terms of daily economic threat”, Rama said, referring to the intense increase in prices of basic products.

Prices have been on the rise before, as a result of the coronary pandemic, but have continued to rise even after Ukraine's invasion of Russia began on February 24th.

The war in Ukraine has particularly raised energy prices.

Albania, as well as other Balkan and European countries, now and many months now faces an energy crisis.

Praising energy as “pace of the backbone of the entire economic system”, Rama said the energy crisis is deepening “not every month, but each day”.

“Albania is directly affected as other countries”, he said.

The price of oil does not depend on the Government, it is not the Government on the free market... that raises prices or lowers consumer goods prices. It is the market and the market is super sensitive”, Rama added at the press conference.

He called for “preparation for each scenario” with the new Interministerial Committee, “including dramatic power or oil supply situations”.

Albania is listed with NATO states in support of Ukraine and has imposed sanctions on Russia.

For this position of Albania, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has thanked Rama during a weekend telephone conversation.

Russia, meanwhile, has placed Albania on “listNon-friendly countries”. / REL