Meanwhile, Democratic Party parliamentary group chairman Gazment Bardhi highlighted that, in his meeting with VanHorn, he conveyed the party’s stance on combating organised crime and corruption, as well as on Albania’s backsliding in democratic standards.

“Regrettably, for the past 12 years, Albania has been ruled by a government aligned with organised crime and drug cartels, maintaining power through the illicit proceeds of corruption and criminal activity,” Bardhi wrote.

Bardhi stressed that “Albania can only move forward as a developed nation and a credible partner of the United States through a genuine fight against organised crime and corruption, led by a government elected in free and fair elections.”
Taulant Balla, chairman of the Socialist Party parliamentary group, also commented after his meeting with VanHorn.
Balla stated that the discussion centred on the dialogue and the Parliament’s legislative agenda within the framework of multi-faceted reforms, with key priorities including the fulfilment of Albania’s obligations on its path to European Union membership during this term of office, as well as commitments in the field of security as a NATO member state and strategic ally of the United States.

“Above all, we value the leadership of President Trump and the United States’ efforts to promote peace and security worldwide,” Balla said.

“During the meeting, we also discussed expanding cooperation between the Albanian Parliament and the U.S. Congress, as well as the idea of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two legislative bodies,” Balla added.
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