FLASH
Shkruar nga Roland Qafoku
It is expected that the US will give critical signals to the government for quite a few problems that have emerged, especially in recent years. Democracy in Albania has taken steps backwards and the majority that owns the superpowers is languishing from wear and tear and a host of scandals. It is not for nothing that Edi Rama, as never before in visits of this type, took the lead by publishing a long status on Saturday around 3:00 p.m. just for this visit.
Antony Blinken will be the 6th American Secretary of State to visit Albania in a span of 33 years. Every time an American diplomat has set foot on our soil, it has been connected to a major event for Albania and the Albanians, yes, but not only. For what they have done and said during their visits to Tirana, they have become news of the day, entering our history, but at the same time this news has traveled around the world and attracted the attention of the entire globe.
This is what happened on June 22, 1991 when the first, James Becker arrived in Tirana during the time when Ylli Bufi was prime minister. Becker was received like a rock star in the presence of 500 thousand enthusiastic residents of Tirana in "Skënderbej" square, and the dose of that reception reached its peak when some young people lifted the car he was driving. It had only been 3 months since diplomatic relations between Albania and the USA had been restored after 52 years of interruption, while the communist regime had called America the number one enemy of Albanians and the gendarme of the world. His visit demonstrated the determination of the US to encourage the establishment of democracy and the complete overthrow of communism. Becker said in his speech:
"On behalf of President Bush and the American people, I come here today to tell you that: Freedom works. Finally you are free to think your own thoughts. You are finally free to speak your mind. You are finally free to choose your leaders. Albanians have chosen to join the society of free people of the whole world. Welcome to the company of free men and women, just as our creator intended them to be. You are with us and we are with you."
This is what happened on February 18, 2000, when the second, Madeleine Albright, arrived in Tirana when Ilir Meta was prime minister, supporting not only the developments in Albania, considering her an important ally, but especially for Kosovo, which had just emerged from the war and was aspiring towards creation of a state. As she was awarded the high decoration "Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu" Albright said that her father, Jospeh Korbel, had been the ambassador of Czechoslovakia in Albania from 1945-1948. While Albright's support for Albania and the Albanians in Kosovo was maximum considering them as a factor of peace. Albright said in her speech to parliament:
"Albania must not allow itself to be used by those who want to create conflicts in the region. Attempts to expand borders are an invitation to violence, not peace and stability. And of course the international community should not accept a big Albania or a big Serbia".
This is what happened on May 2, 2003 when the third, Colin Powell, as he arrived in Tirana when Ilir Meta was prime minister, praised Albania as an ally in the anti-Iraq coalition while he was in the middle of the debate whether the US should wage war there or not. Powell said in his speech:
"I thanked the prime minister and the foreign minister for the open support that Albania gave to the coalition for the liberation of Iraq, I especially thanked them for the contribution of sending a small military contingent of Albanians to Iraq, which is therefore in the 101st infantry division in Iraq, but it was covenance reasons that pushed me to come to Tirana together with my colleagues to sign the Adriatic Charter here".
This is what happened on November 1, 2012 when the fourth, Hillary Clinton, arrived in Tirana on the eve of the 100th anniversary of Albania's independence when Sali Berisha was the prime minister and declared without any complex the loyalty of standing next to the USA towards Albania. Clinton said in her speech to parliament:
"The US has stood with you for the first 100 years of independence and will stand with you for another 100 years."
This is what happened on February 14, 2016 when the fifth, John Kerry, arrived in Tirana when Edi Rama was prime minister as he insisted on challenging the challenges of American diplomacy in Albania, that of justice reform. John Kerry said:
"Justice reform is vital. Albanians want judges and prosecutors who adhere to the law and not the party in power. I know it is difficult to catch those who have become happy in the process of avoiding the responsibilities they share with their entire nation by engaging in one form of corrupt activity or another."
But what is expected of secretary Antony Blinken?
Of course, there are several items on his agenda. But first and foremost is the situation in Kosovo. A state that is not only showing fragility in the face of the machinations of Serbia, eager for expansion, and that, in cooperation with Russia, are seeking to turn it into a second Ukraine. A situation that is considered a global challenge, Blinken will show the support of the USA and to leave no ambiguity even though in many cases Prime Minister Albin Kurti has targeted the USA as the culprit for the situation. Blinken is expected to give official messages in Tirana that the US was not only the exclusive author of the creation of the state of Kosovo, but will remain the main supporter of the guarantee of the future of this state. And in Tirana, he will ask the Albanian political class to influence their counterparts in Kosovo.
Por me interes pritet të jenë edhe mesazhet që Blinken do të japë ekskluzivisht për Shqipërinë. Duhet thënë se SHBA ka patur dhe ka vetëm një interes për vendin dhe shtetin tonë: Stabilitet. Dhe ky stabilitet krijohet me një demokraci të fortë dhe një drejtësi të fortë. Në fakt, mungesa e një ambasadori amerikan në Tiranë që nga korriku i vitit të kaluar ka krijuar përshtypjen e një lloj indiference të diplomacisë amerikane. Fjala indiferencë mund të tregohet edhe me faktin që një sekretar shteti vjen në Tiranë pas 8 viteve nga paraardhësi John Kerri. Në pozitën e një arbitri, ambasador amerikan ka luajtur përherë rolin dhe autoritetin për të qenë më aktiv dhe më imponues në politikën shqiptare. Fjala “stabilitet” kur përdoret për ndonjë situatë në Kosovë duket sikur favorizon qeverinë e Shqipërisë duke krijuar perceptimin se SHBA nuk janë shumë të interesuara shumë për nivelin e demokracisë dhe shtetin e të drejtës. Por në fakt nuk është kështu. Pritet që SHBA të japë sinjale kritike ndaj qeverisë për jo pak probleme të shfaqura, veçanërisht vitet e fundit. Demokracia në Shqipëri ka bërë hapa pas dhe mazhoranca që zotëron superpushtet po lëngon nga konsumimi dhe një mori skandalesh. Jo më kot Edi Rama, si asnjëherë në vizita të këtij lloji bëri parapritë duke publikuar një status të gjatë të shtunën rreth orës 15.00. enkas për këtë vizitën. Duke përdorur 652 fjalë ai shfaqi një parathënie të çështjeve që do të trajtojë dhe bisedojë me Blinken. Dhe përveç shprehjes me fjali të gjata të miqësisë pa rezerva ndaj SHBA, ajo që ra në sy ishin fjalët që pranonin edhe defektet e qeverisë, tejet e rrallë kjo për kryeministrin. Shkroi Rama në status:
“Sekretari i Shtetit do të gjejë një Shqipëri në punë, me rritje të vazhdueshme ekonomike e me vullnet të prekshëm transformues në sektorin publik dhe atë privat, por edhe me vetëdijen e plotë të boshllëqeve e të mangësive ende të shumta, të cilat duhen adresuar përmes thellimit të reformave që garantojnë mirëqeverisjen në çdo nivel, nxisin transformimet në çdo sektor, fuqizojnë komunitetet vendore, promovojnë barazinë gjinore, stimulojnë grupet e interesit, përshpejtojnë modernizimin, sigurojnë zhvillimin e qëndrueshëm”.
Thirdly, the relationship between the USA and the Albanian opposition is currently at the lowest levels. There are years of effort by American diplomacy to support the official part of the Democratic Party, or some other political forces. However, the real fact is that Albania has the weakest opposition since the fall of communism. The declaration non grata of Sali Berisha nearly two years ago has already turned into archived history. Sued in a Paris court by Sali Berisha, it is not even thought that Antony Blinken will give withdrawal signals and support both Berisha and Reestablishment. The chances are that in Tirana he will not mention that history at all, confirming his decision taken on July 22, 2022. But what is expected with interest is that Blinken will express support for political parties, groups and individuals to strengthen the role of the opposition in Albania.
And last but not least, Secretary Blinken is expected to once again express US support for justice reform. If the news that Blinken will meet Altin Duman turns out to be true, then that moment will also be a strong message that cleaning the Albanian political class from corruption will ultimately be done only by SPAK. But this will also be a message for the majority to say stop to the initiative to control this structure. There are many reasons to express respect for Secretary Blinken's arrival in Tirana on February 14. But if it was only the last reason, the good Albanians would heartily wish: Welcome Mr. Blinken! The word
Lini një Përgjigje