Relations between Albania and the USA are deteriorating. Meeting with the Deputy Secretary of State is refused President Berisha yesterday refused to meet with the American Deputy Secretary of State, John Kornblum, asking him to cancel his arrival in Tirana. The Albanian President responded to the concern of the USA regarding developments in Albania. Berisha replied with a „No comment” to Mr. De Ktaft[?] on this week’s remarks concerning the Albanian presidency and American standards in Tirana. Unconfirmed sources that have no way of decrypting[?] decoding[?] the meeting, but according to some information officially coming from the Presidency they explain the reason that the Albanian president did not welcome the hall because the American Deputy Secretary of State was expected to meet only the leaders of the opposition parties. This was made known by the presidential spokesman, who accused the American State Department of „pressure”, while it is claimed that Mr. Kornblum is in this way setting the future direction of Albania’s domestic policy. It was Friday evening when it was announced that the visit to Tirana by the American Deputy Secretary of State was being „postponed”. It was last night when the Albanian Presidency officially declared that Kornblum’s meeting with the president would not take place. The President was „refusing” the meeting with the American deputy secretary as a sign of disapproval of the recent developments that the American government is demonstrating toward him and the administration he leads. „I don’t have time to wait for you, Wirth[?]” Deputy Secretary of State Timothy Wirth From yesterday’s military drill in Bizë Photo L. Lika Reuters