Withers and Borchardt have been two of the most active members of the diplomatic community in Albania.
Tirana Times
TIRANA, Aug. 5 – They have been two of the most active members of the diplomatic community in Albania, and now as their mandate ends around the same time, the U.S. and German ambassadors to Albania held a few farewell meetings, including two with Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
Berisha told U.S. Ambassador John L. Withers he was grateful for the support and extraordinary help provided the United State to Albania in recent months as a friend, ally and strategic partner of the Albanians as well as the contribution of the U.S government and U.S. embassy in Tirana for Albania’s NATO membership.
He said becoming a member of NATO was a historic moment, the greatest event in international relations and security of Albania, following the Declaration of Independence, according to statement by the prime minister’s press office.
The statement also said Withers praised the role and contribution of Albania and its constructive, moderated and friendly policies, in the service of peace, security in the region.
During the meeting, the determination of two countries and peoples for further consolidation of close friendship between two nations was reconfirmed.
While at the other meeting, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Bernd Borchardt was also thanked for Germany’s constant support to Albania in the course of recent years.
Berisha said he valued the contribution of Ambassador Borchardt and his embassy staff in Tirana has made for strengthening close relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and peoples.
Ambassador Borchardt said bilateral relations have marked progress and there are new achievements in many fields like in education, economic and financial field, energy and infrastructure, but even in the multilateral aspect especially in the framework of Albania’s NATO and European integration, according to the prime minister’s office.
The opening of the German-Albanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Albania was considered an important event that shows the growing interest of the German investors in Albania in the context of the favorable conditions the government of Albania has created for business and investments. And the chamber is expected to give a further momentum to economic and trade exchanges between the two countries, according to a press release by the prime minister’s office.
