TIRANA, Oct.1 – Albanian President Bujar Nishani has honored the first U.S. Ambassador to post-communist Albania, Christopher Hill, with the George Kastriot medal, for his role in the growth and development of the country.
Hill was the first U.S. ambassador to come to Albania after the fall of communism. He reopened the Embassy of the United States after it was closed at the beginning of World War II, in 1939.
President Nishani praised the role of Ambassador Hill in supporting and encouraging the establishment of democracy Albania. According to the former ambassador, Albania has made significant progress in the recent years.
In an interview for Voice of America, former Ambassador Hill, who is now in a mission to strengthen the diplomatic influence of U.S. in the Balkans, said that Albania must move forward.
“Parties must cooperate for the country’s EU integration. They should get ready for the next phase of history, because people demand it,” Hill said.
During the interview, the U.S diplomat stated that the Balkans region is in a transformation process that is still incomplete and for this transformation, “we must be very careful.”
According to Hill, the region is facing some great challenges and as such needs a greater attention from United States of America and European Union.
