Posted on 06/08/2007 10:08:32 AM PDT by marthemaria
Albania prepares to welcome U.S. president 8 June 2007 | 11:02 | Source: Southeast European Times TIRANA -- Albania is preparing for the upcoming visit by U.S. President George W. Bush, scheduled for Sunday, June 10th.
Lawmakers have approved legislation to boost cooperation and security, leading up to the visit.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha's administration is spending approximately EUR 1mn to refurbish government buildings, including the Foreign Ministry and other institutions that Bush will visit. Tirana is being decorated with Albanian and U.S. flags to mark the occasion.
Bush will be the first U.S. president to visit Albania, a trip hailed by local leaders as a historic milestone.
"Since Albania's independence, at the most critical moments of national liberty for Albanians, the United States has played the role of helping to save rights and freedom," Berisha said.
According to President Alfred Moisiu, the visit carries great symbolism. A superpower, he said, is building reciprocal respect and collaboration with a small country.
"This is the peak of Albanian-U.S. relations," said Lajlja Pernaska, a member of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. "I think this visit will have a good impact on the development of Albania and on EU and NATO integration."
Pernaska's colleague in Parliament, former Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami, said Bush would be bringing "messages regarding Albania's membership in NATO."
"The United States, through the Adriatic Charter—a model in which Washington has played a major role—has shown that it supports Albania's membership in NATO. The visit also carries a message for the Albanian nation, demonstrating that the country is moving towards democracy," Islami added.
Ahead of the trip, Bush had a message for Albania.
"I want to make sure the Albanian people understand that America knows that you exist and that you're making difficult choices to cement your free society," Bush said. "I'm coming as a lover of liberty to a land where people are realising the benefits of liberty."
In addition to Albania, Bush will be visiting Poland, Italy and Bulgaria after attending the G8 summit in Germany.
In 1999, President Bill Clinton scheduled a visit to Tirana, but it was cancelled. Two US secretaries of state have visited Albania—James Baker in 1991 and Colin Powell in 2003.
Enver Hoxha is rolling over in his grave.
And after Albania, it’s on to Elbonia....
The President will propose a Guest Worker Amnesty program for Albanians who want to sneak into the United States. /sarcasm
In 1991, when James Baker arrived in Albania...there were 100,000 people crowded up on the main streets of the capital city and cheered the dude into town. The gov’t didn’t arrange this...like North Korea would. They broadcast the arrival and even carried the entire landing and exit from the plane on radio.
Baker later commented that it was the only 4-star type welcome he’d ever gotten (up to that point) and was rather shocked how pro-US the folks were there.
It will be curious if another 100,000 people line up on the streets to greet GW. He might actually stop the car and shake hands with some folks.
Just goes to show that 40+ years of Commie brainwashing can only go so far.
Autarky did not work out very well for Albania.
Autarky did not work out very well for Albania.
Especially after they managed to piss off the one country that still wanted anything to do with them, Communist China.
Hoxha thought they could go at it alone by adopting the two worst economic systems in the world.
North Korea seems normal compared to Albania under Hoxha.
And you know what they say: Never stick any countries smaller than Elbonia in your ear.
America needs more mud :)
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