§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Albanian Government with respect to the assassination attempt on Mr. Azzan Haklaj. [19581]
§ Mr. MacShaneThis incident is the subject of an Albanian judicial investigation. With our partners in the international community, we are monitoring developments closely.
§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the recent parliamentary elections in Albania, with special reference to(a) organisation and (b) conduct. [19582]
§ Mr. MacShaneA report published in October by the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) praised the improved organisation and conduct of the elections. It highlighted a number of cases of manipulation, for which it identified the Socialist Party, rather than Prime Minister's Meta's Government, as responsible. The ODIHR report made clear that these shortcomings were not such as to affect the overall result. We continue to encourage and support Albanian efforts to address any flaws and to strengthen the democratic process.