The heads of Albania’s religious communities issued a public appeal after meeting President Bajram Begaj, at a time when protests in the capital have heightened political and institutional tensions. In their joint statement, they called for citizens to be heard and for the confrontation between the sides not to shift toward escalation.
Call for dialogue instead of conflict
In their statement, the religious leaders called on the sides to choose dialogue over conflict, placing the emphasis on political and institutional responsibility in a situation inflamed by the protests in Tirana.
They stressed that citizens must be heard, institutions must respond, justice must be guaranteed, the law must be respected, and social peace must be protected.
Message against fear and division
In the text of the statement, the religious leaders underlined that the country’s future cannot be built on fear, destruction and division, but on dignity, mutual trust and peaceful solutions.
They called on all sides to place the common good, the safety of citizens and social peace above any narrow interest.
Meeting with the President against a backdrop of tensions
The statement came after the meeting held earlier in the day with President Bajram Begaj. According to the information made public, the focus of the reaction is linked to the current protest situation in the capital and the need to lower the tone.
The message from the religious leaders comes at a time when public pressure for institutional answers remains high and when calls are growing stronger for the state’s response not to be reduced only to public order, but also to listening to citizens.
Joan Pelushi also spoke of wise decisions
Meanwhile, Joan Pelushi, Archbishop of the Albanian Orthodox Church, during the Mass held at the “Resurrection” Cathedral in Tirana, focused on the need for fair and mature decisions in this situation.
He said that Albania belongs to everyone and that all citizens have the right to take part in building it, calling for those who bear responsibility to be guided by wisdom in decision-making.
The appeal by the religious leaders shifts attention to an essential point: in the face of protests and public tension, the response of institutions is tested not only in controlling the situation, but also in the ability to listen and provide solutions.
In this climate, the call for dialogue emerges as the main message of a statement that avoids political alignment, but clearly raises the need for responsibility and restraint.