George W. Bush to visit Albania

By David Browne l eTN Europe

President Bush is to make a historic visit to Albania, a country in south-east Europe that is forging ahead with reforms aimed at integration into world economy, after decades of tyrannical rule by communists. His visit is a milestone in Albania's progress and the President is assured of a warm welcome.

President George W. Bush is to visit Albania on Sunday, the first time that a US president has been to the country that for decades was ruled by an oppressive communist regime. The US president’s visit is a landmark in Albania’s history and marks the progress made in the nation’s transition to democracy and market economics, with support from the USA over the past 15 years.

George W. Bush is assured of a warm welcome to the state that borders Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo and is struggling to catch up with its neighbors in the quest for international investment particularly in tourism and manufacturing industry. Albania is making great efforts to open up its vast natural resources of landscape and Adriatic coastline and become the newest tourism destination in the Mediterranean region.

Bush’s visit on June 10 will be accompanied by celebrations in the Albanian capital, Tirana, and already a big exhibition on Albania’s relations with the USA is being staged in Albania’s largest public building, the Pyramid Convention Center, which bears a huge picture of George W. Bush on the outside.

For years Albania was ruled by an autocratic dictator, Enva Hoxzha, and was in effect a closed country. Throughout the 1990s, political reforms have moved ahead and Albania is open for business.

“Albanians are proud and grateful for the continuous and precious support and assistance that the great American nation and the government of the United States of America have given them in their efforts for freedom, dignity, development and integration,” said Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha.

He said the USA had played a decisive role in the fall of communism all over the world including Albania. Albanians were particularly grateful for the military intervention of the US and NATO forces in the former Yugoslavia, following the action of the regime of Slobadan Milosevic to rid Kosovo of Albanians, the infamous “ethnic cleansing” strategy.

“In 1999, when Milosevic decided to cross these boundaries and began the implementation of his extermination and deportation plan against Kosovo Albanians, another great American statesman, President Clinton, headed the North Atlantic Aliance in its first battle outside the territories of the member states to protect the freedoms and rights of Kosovo Albanian citizens,” said Beirsha.

There are high hopes that President Bush will make a statement in Albania about the possibility of making Kosovo into a sovereign state, independent of Serbia which regards Kosovo as its southern province. At present Kosovo is administered by the United Nations following the conflict which led to the break-up of Yugoslavia. Kosovo has a majority population of ethnic Albanians but is regarded by Serbia as its historical bulwark against Turkish invaders down the ages.

“The USA has always supported the aspirations of all nations for freedom and independence. Therefore the dream of Kosovo Albanians for a free, independent an democratic state finds support and understanding in the administration of President George W. Bush” said Berisha.

“This visit is an undeniable assessment of the comprehensive reforms undertaken by our government and a great support for these reforms, which aim the implementation and consolidation of the rule of law in Albania, the fight against organized crime and corruption, the consolidation of standards, criteria and norms that make Albania ready for integration into NATO and the European Union.”

Albania has benefited from an inflow of international funding from the USA, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other donors for modernization of infrastructure and free market trade. USAID, the government’s international development arm, is active in support and training for private sector companies in food production, light industry and tourism.

Printable Version | published Jun 05, 2007

Important Links

» Home