Results of Berisha’s visit to US expected

TIRANA, May 1 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha made a week-long visit to the United States where he also met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other congressmen.
The official protocol and statements issued that Berisha talked about bilateral ties, the Albanian role in NATO peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan and also in the Balkans.
Berisha also said that he had received a positive confirmation from Clinton regarding a visit to Tirana on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of independence later this year.
It has already been known that Clinton would make a trip to the Balkans by the end of her mandate.
Berisha also urged more U.S. businesses to come and invest in the tiny western Balkan country.
But what was not learnt and publicly said was whether they had talked for many other topics of high interest in Tirana, like the upcoming presidential elections, electoral reform and issues related to them.
There have been comments in the local media that Clinton has also asked Berisha not to ‘touch’ the posts of the prosecutor general and that of the head of the secret intelligence police Shik after the new president is elected.
Berisha loudly said that Washington supported Tirana’s integration into the European Union.
Sure. But what does that mean?
Washington raised alarming bells a few years ago when Berisha tried to move the existing Shik head Bahri Shaqiri of the post. That was also learnt last year when Washington openly supported Prosecutor General Ina Rama in the investigation of the January 21 opposition protest in which four of its supporters were shot dead.
Washington like Brussels wants that Albanian politicians reach a consensus in electing the next president. That process will be closely watched and will serve as a good basis for the next approval or denial of the country’s candidate status into the bloc.
Upon returning from the visit Berisha said that he was open to negotiations with the opposition on the presidential elections and did not insist so much in the fact that he/she is going to be found among the ranks of the governing Democrats. That could be a hint that he has been pressed by Washington on such an issue and more.
Presidential election is the first step in such a move ahead into the integrati0n process.
Washington also made it clear to Tirana that its place is in Europe, that is in the EU and reaching that means a lot of work to achieve its required standards.