Rumsfeld hails Albania’s army reform

TIRANA, Oct. 14 – U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld sent a letter to Albanian counterpart Fatmir Mediu highly evaluating the reforms Albanians have undertaken within the army. Rumsfeld participated in the Southeast European Defense Ministers’ meeting in Tirana in September. “I would like to thank the Albanian people for the excellent welcome during my visit. I was one of the 11 defense ministers who came to Tirana for the Southeast Defense Ministerial that has been turned into a valuable forum for the countries of the region to discuss political and security issues,” he wrote. “You should be proud for what you have achieved in a relatively short time,” he said. I was impressed by the determination to make the necessary reforms for NATO membership,” he said.
Nevertheless in a meeting that President Bush had with the Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader he mentioned only Croatia as a possible new NATO member in 2008. Albania is part of the Adriatic 3 Charter signed also by Macedonia and supported by Washington on their road toward NATO membership.