In an interview with the Voice of America at the end of the two-day visit to Albania as part of her Western Balkans tour, Donfried said that at meetings with Prime Minister Edi Rama, his cabinet members and the main opposition MPs, she applauded Albania’s progress in delivering on important reforms.

Further deepening Albania-U.S. partnership was the focus of talks in Tirana.

In her interview, the U.S. senior official commented on the relations with Albania, the expectations about reforms and the fight against corruption.

The Assistant Secretary of State also provided details about meeting with DP lawmakers, namely Enkelejd Alibeaj, Gazment Bardhi and Jorida Tabaku, she recognizes as the opposition’s leaders, saying talks with them focused on the future and not on the past.

Donfried said the Americans do not meet with persons designated by the US, referring to former PM Sali Berisha.

“Secretary Blinken designated Mr. Berisha due to the acts of corruption in which he was involved and I, as US official, cannot meet with designated persons. I believe the US position is very clear. In fact, today I met with opposition leaders and I’d like to share with you the fact that our discussions didn’t focus on the past, but on the future and what the Democratic Party is looking to achieve,” she said.

Donfried also focused on impact of the Russian aggression on Ukraine in the Balkans.

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The two met European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi on a visit to Albania too.

The United States Embassy in Tirana said in a press release that “they agreed Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine has made EU integration even more urgent.”

“They discussed the shared priority of Albania and North Macedonia’s integration into the European Union and Assistant Secretary Donfried reaffirmed the United States’ strong support for Albania’s EU accession and said that the United States remains committed to working with Albanian and EU partners to ensure Albania’s justice reform and successful path into the European Union,” the U.S. Embassy said.

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