TIRANA, Nov. 1 – In one of her last visits overseas as U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton toured several Balkan countries, urging key regional ally Albania to cement its democracy in the next elections, fight corruption and achieve political cooperation on key issues.
In her meetings with Albanian officials and in her speech in parliament, Secretary Clinton said the United States stands together with Albania as a NATO ally and called for greater cooperation among Albanian deeply divided political forces to hold undisputed free and fair elections, fight corruption and establish full rule of law through strong state institutions.
Clinton spent just four hours in a jam-packed visit that included, during whichs he will meet with President Bujar Nishani, Prime Minister Sali Berisha and opposition mayor Edi Rama. The most visible part of the Albania tour was her address in the Albanian parliament.
Cooperate for love of country, Clinton tells Albanians
Speaking at the Albanian parliament, Clinton said the next few months are very critical for Albania. She said Albanians must make sure the next elections are conducted in a fully free and fair manner so the electoral process is successful in cementing a strong democracy in Albania.
“I urge not only leaders of Albania, but the people, the citizens of Albania, to work hard to make this next election a success that reflects the depth of your commitment to democracy,” Clinton said. “At the same time, it’s always important to remind ourselves that consolidating democracy requires more than elections. It requires the rule of law. It requires strong institutions, including an effective and impartial judiciary. It requires openness in government so citizens can hold us, hold leaders, accountable.”
Clinton urged Albanians to fight corruption, calling it a “cancer” that eats away at society.
“It drains resources, it blocks economic growth, it shields incompetent and unethical leaders, and perhaps worst of all, it creates a culture of impunity that saps people of their will to improve their own lives and communities,” she said.
But it was Clinton’s personal touch for cooperation for the betterment of the country that drew special attention, after she drew on her personal experience in the 2008 elections in the bitterly-fought primary elections against President Barack Obama.
“People around the world still ask me how can President Obama and I work together every day as partners when we fought so hard against each other. Believe me, I did everything I could to beat him. But he won, and then he asked me to be his Secretary of State. And so when I’m asked how, how can two people who said terrible things about each other, spent tens of millions of dollars advertising against each other, whose supporters were arguing everywhere – against each other, how can you two work together? I will tell you it’s a very, very simple answer. We both love our country. And I know there is not an Albanian here who doesn’t love Albania,” Secretary Clinton told Albanian politicians, whose disagreements have often caused delays in Albania’s progress in the past.
In the same line, she also urged leaders to place political party interests behind national interests for key issues such as proper elections, fighting corruption and strong institutions.
Since the collapse of the communist regime in the early 1990s, Albania had faced a series of political crisis, and elections have often been marred by irregularities and failure by the losing side to recognize the results as fair.
Visit tied to Albania’s independence centennial
Secretary Clinton’s visit took special significance because it came during Albania’s celebrations of 100 years of independence, which culminate on Nov. 28.
“The United States has stood with you for the first 100 years and will stand with you for the next 100 years,” Mrs. Clinton told parliament.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha said Secretary Clinton’s visit was among the most important moments of Albania’s celebration of its 100th anniversary of its independence.
Parliamentary Speaker Jozefina Topalli said Albania looks up to the United States. “True friends are those who are you near you in a good days and bad days, and the United States is a great friend in that way,” said Speaker Topalli. “Albania’s independence is tied to the United States, Kosovo’s liberation is tied to the United States, Albania’s NATO membership is tied to the United States,” she said recalling former U.S. President Wilson’s role in guaranteeing an independent Albania a century ago, the U.S.-led intervention to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, and support from President Bush and President Obama for Albania’s NATO membership.
Tirana’s main streets were decorated with Albanian and American flags, and all major media provided special editions to accompany Secretary Clinton’s visit.
Heavy rains at the start of the visit and strong security measures left some of Tirana’s central streets empty as Secretary Clinton arrived in Tirana, however Albanians closely followed the visit in jam-packed caf고and nearly all television screens in public featured small crowds around them from the moment Secretary Clinton touched down to the time she spoke to parliament.
Beyond statements
Albanians were busy interpreting every aspect of the Mrs. Clinton’s visit, so in addition to what was said in parliament, the details of the planning of the visit were not overlooked.
The missing joint press conference with Prime Minister Berisha, the invitation to the parliamentary speech of Mr. Berisha’s arch political rivals and independent voices as well as a one-on-one meeting the opposition leader were all indications American officials were by no means trying to give any political credibility to those in power in Albania and a clear effort to point out that the U.S. supports Albania and as an ally not the prime minister of the party in power, according to several Albanian analysts.
The visit’s careful balanced tone is in line with previous ones by top U.S. officials. Secretary Clinton is the fourth to U.S. diplomat to visit Albania since 1990. Former Secretary James Baker was first to visit in 1991. His historic visit will be remembered for the warm reception he received by the Albanian people as the country emerged from over 45 years of complete isolation. Madeleine Albright visited in 2000 and Colin Powell in 2003.
Clinton is the highest-ranking U.S official to visit Albania since June 2007, when former U.S. President George W. Bush visited with much fanfare. He is credited with sponsoring Albania’s successful bid to join NATO in 2009, and for his strong support of Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008.
Regional focus
Secretary Clinton’s visit to Albania was part of bigger Balkans tour that included of Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia. In Serbia and Kosovo Clinton urged continued dialogue aimed at normalizing relations. She also made it clear Kosovo was to be treated as an independent country with unchangeable borders.
The Balkans have long disappeared from the global and American limelight, largely due to the stabilizing nature of the past decade as part of the region’s efforts to join the European Union, but as crisis in Europe continues and its effects are felt in the region, there is clear indication the Balkans still demand attention.
Driven by economic insecurity, populist political forces are growing in the Balkans, and in the absence of attention from the United States and the European Union, each preoccupied with crisis at home and elsewhere, there is a chance for regress in the region.
This week’s visit by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the region, which included stops in Tirana and Pristina, is an indication the United States, in cooperation with the European Union, wants to have continued focus in the region and is a welcome move, according to analysts.
Albania and ethnic Albanians elsewhere in the region make up the region’s most pro-American component, and Albania sees the United States as a strategic partner with a special relationship that differs from that with European partners. Much of that stems from crucial support the United State have given to Albanians in critical moments of the nation’s history נfrom guaranteeing Albanian independence in the early years of the last century to helping stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo more than a decade ago.
