TIRANA, June 15 – Albania’s opposition leader, Lulzim Basha, has published a photo with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying he had “extraordinary meeting” with American head of state.
Trump’s “vision and cause are an inspiration for our movement for a Republic of Citizens, with a strong and secure economy for all Albanians,” Basha said in a statement he distributed with the photo.
He also expressed “infinite gratitude for Trump’s and the United States’ support for Albania and Albanians.”
Basha had interrupted his campaign for a two-day trip to the United States, where he said he participated in events related to the White House Week for Workforce Development, where Trump administration initiatives are being discussed on tax cuts, vocational training, work schedules and funding studies.
Albanian media outlets that openly support Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama reported the meeting had taken place during a fundraiser event for a Trump ally.
In the previous campaign, Rama himself managed to get a photo with former U.S. President Barack Obama at a fundraising event, which resulted in the conviction of an Albanian-American man who had broken campaign finance rules in the United States by transferring money from an Albanian source to the Obama campaign in order to secure Rama’s picture with Obama.
Rama also raised eyebrows in Albania when as prime minister he went on several international interviews calling Trump’s election “a threat” to America and the world, adding relations with Albania could suffer. Rama has backtracked on his comments following Trump’s election to the presidency.
Albania’s three largest parties have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire U.S. lobbyists to secure high level meetings over the years.
