WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) issued 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.”