TIRANA, Nov. 9 – The victory of Republican Party candidate Donald Trump in the U.S. Presidential Election has been met with reactions from around the world, including Albania.
Within hours of Trump’s victory speech, Albanian officials seemed calm and hopeful about the country’s future relations with the United States.
President Bujar Nishani said he was convinced relations between the two countries are solid and they will continue to be so under U.S. President Trump.
“Congratulations to Donald Trump on the victory. We have a consolidated relation with the United States, and I am convinced that [the new president] will boost our bilateral relations,” Nishani said in a statement.
“Albanians are grateful to the United States for its support, especially in our difficult historical moments, as well as the U.S. efforts to encourage continuous strengthening of democracy in the country and its development. Therefore, I wish to assure you, Mr. President-elect, for the unconditional friendship of the Albanian people, which has seen over the years a nation embodied the great American values of respect for freedom and democracy and the ‘American dream’ — the universal symbol boundless opportunities and achievements,” President Nishani noted in his official message.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, who had been a strong critic of Trump’s statements during the campaign, congratulated the U.S. President-elect through a social media, stressing that he hoped relations between the two countries would grow stronger.
“Congratulations to Donald Trump for his victory and success. I believe that our strategic relations with the United States will be further strengthened,” Rama wrote.
Albania’s prime minister had been very public of his personal support for Trump’s rival, Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
“A great friend of Albania, Kosovo and of all Albanians, Hillary Clinton did not succeed to become the first woman president in the history of the United States,” Rama noted on social media.
In April, Rama made headlines as he told CNN that “God forbid” Trump should become the next U.S. President.
“It would harm America very much, and it would very much harm the democratic world,” Rama said during the interview.
In his reaction, the Albanian opposition leader and Democratic Party chairman, Lulzim Basha, drew parallels between Albania and the United States saying that “elections in the United States are a lesson for Albania, which should remove its bad leaders through a free vote.”
The DP chairman also expressed his belief that the relations with the United States would stay strong.
Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta said he believes U.S. foreign policy toward Albania will not be affected by the electoral results.
Albania’s mainstream parties appear far from enthusiastic at the Trump triumph; however, experts believe that the new Trump area ushered in at the White House will not have a direct impact on Albania.
