Blinken praises extraordinary partnership with Albania

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday praised the “extraordinary partnership” between Washington and Tirana, expressing support for its Balkan ally.

During his first trip to Albania, Blinken met Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and young Albanians, with Washington welcoming Albania’s staunch support for Ukraine and its chairmanship of a difficult U.N. Security Council session last year.

Senior U.S. State Department official Yuri King said earlier that his visit was aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with important partners to help maintain stability in the Balkans.

Blinken attended a forum of young Albanians held in a pyramid in central Tirana, which was originally built to commemorate Albania’s paranoid communist dictator Enver Hoxha and is now an educational institution. and innovation centers.

“This is not a relatable past. It is a powerful living symbol of the present and the future,” he told the students.

Albania has turned to the West after decades of isolation under the Hoxha regime.

According to recent polls, the vast majority of Albanians have a very positive image of the United States.

Huge posters were put up on the streets of Tirana to welcome Blinken’s arrival.

Blinken also met in Tirana with Afghan refugees who fled their country after the Taliban seized power two years ago and are awaiting U.S. visas.

“I can’t express enough how grateful I am for the partnership we have in helping our friends in Afghanistan,” he said after meeting with them.

The small Balkan country joined NATO in 2009 and is a candidate for EU membership.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – AFP)