TIRANA, Feb 14 /ATA/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomed Wednesday the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Albania on Thursday as extremely important, saying it shows that Albanian state has “reached a whole new level” in terms of its international position.
In an interview at Context talk show on ATV, PM Rama said that Blinken’s visit shows that the United States praises Albania’s role in the Balkans as “a country with its hand of friendship extended to every neighbour.”
Antony Blinken will become the sixth U.S. Secretary of State to visit Albania and the first since 2016, when former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Tirana.
PM Rama declined to reveal the topic of his talks with Blinken.
“After all, Albania is neither a big country nor a military superpower, yet it is very crucial for the United States of America. The fact that despite the Secretary’s extremely busy agenda and commitment of the USA amid this turbulent time in the world, he still deems it necessary and finds time to stop in Albania is something very important,” PM Rama said about tomorrows visit by U.S. Secretary of State.
Blinken’s visit to Albania takes place in framework of a two-day trip to Albania and Germany, where he will attend the Munich Security Conference as part of a US delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Blinken’s visit will focus on the future of Albania, the Western Balkans, and Europe, the State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a press conference.
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