U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Albania on February 15 for a one-day visit. The senior American official will hold meetings with state leaders, youth, and Afghans being sheltered in the country.
The visit of the American diplomat is being considered by diplomacy experts as historic and of great importance, not only for Albania but also for the entire Western Balkans region.
At Tirana Airport, Blinken was welcomed by Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani.
“Albania’s strategic partnership and cooperation with the U.S., our longstanding ally, will only grow stronger, built on a solid foundation between our countries and people,” Hasani wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Mirë se erdhe Antony!
Delighted to welcome 🇺🇸 Secretary of State Antony Blinken @SecBlinken on his first official visit to Albania.
Albania's strategic partnership and cooperation with the US, our longstanding ally, will only grow stronger, built on a solid foundation… pic.twitter.com/4ib2y7scSy
— Igli Hasani (@IgliHasani) February 15, 2024
This is the first visit of the American top diplomat to Tirana, and according to the U.S. Department of State, it will focus on the future of Albania and the Western Balkans.
During this visit, Blinken is expected to reaffirm relations with key U.S. allies in the Western Balkans and the ally supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression.
According to U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, Yuri Kim, the visit to Tirana coincides with the beginning of the second century of U.S.-Albania relations.
“We want to highlight the good cooperation we have with Albania; we want to thank those who have been key hosts for the Afghans in need, and for continuing the Albanian tradition of sheltering those at risk,” said Kim, referring to the reception of nearly 2,400 Afghans who fled their country after the return of the Taliban to power in the summer of 2021.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who will meet with Blinken and hold a joint press conference, earlier said that the visit of the senior American official shows that the Albanian state has risen to “another level” in its international positioning.
“After all, Albania is neither a big country nor a military power. But apparently, it is an important country for the United States, because in such a troubled time and with so much burden for the Secretary of State and the engagement of the U.S. in the world, he sees it necessary and finds the time to stop in Albania, which is certainly not insignificant,” Rama said on February 14.
In addition to meeting with Rama, Blinken will also meet with Albanian President Bajram Begaj. During his stay in Albania, the American top diplomat will deliver a speech at an event for youth to mark the “future of U.S.-Albania relations”, as stated on the official website of the U.S. Department of State.
He will attend a ceremony for the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the Fulbright student exchange program and for the signing of a memorandum against disinformation manipulation by a foreign state. The American top diplomat will also meet with leaders of justice institutions.
Blinken will also meet with Afghans sheltered in Albania, at the request of the United States.
During Blinken’s visit, tensions between Kosovo and Serbia are likely to be addressed, according to the Associated Press. In the dialogue for the normalization of Kosovo-Serbia relations, mediated by the European Union, there has been slow progress, while from time to time there have been violent incidents that have increased fear of instability. The U.S. and the EU have expressed concerns about Kosovo’s recent decision to ban the Serbian dinar for making payments. This currency, since the post-war period, has been used in areas where Serbs live in Kosovo.
This is Antony Blinken’s first visit to Albania and the sixth of a U.S. Secretary of State. In 1991, Albania was visited by James Baker, Madeleine Albright in 2000, Colin Powell in 2003, Hillary Clinton in 2012, and John Kerry in 2016.
Blinken’s visit to Albania is part of a two-day trip. Following Albania, he will attend the Munich Security Conference in Germany, along with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who will deliver the keynote address.
In Germany, Blinken is expected to focus on Washington’s support for Ukraine, a country facing Russian aggression, as well as discuss the conflict in the Middle East and heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
