Exclusive interview with the American ambassador about recent political events in Albania, given to the newspaper “Koha Jonë” Americans, the most reliable friends of Albanians, are determined to help Tirana and Prishtina Joseph Limprecht Photo: L. FILOPATI

The leading figures in Albanian politics in recent years have often been blatant in exploiting the game of invoking American policy toward Albania. In their thirst and struggle to seize or retain power, through versions and hypotheses that have mostly been unsupported by evidence, they have played this card, at times even achieving success. But the banality of this public political game becomes even more apparent when the positions of the American administration tend to be interpreted as support for particular political groups and forces, or even specific individuals. In the jargon of Albanian politics, expressions such as “has America’s support” or “the Americans don’t want him” are frequently heard, even at the highest political levels. But reality, especially that of recent days, has demonstrated precisely the opposite. Official Washington is also identifying this blatant practice in the current political situation. Through its articulation of its diplomatic observations, it deftly makes clear any preference for an individual or political force. The policy of the state that directs democracy as a new order of enlightenment, particularly in this post-“Cold War” period, has sought and continues to seek to put into practice its sole guiding principle: support for democracy. In terms of the governance it supports, this means unequivocal backing for the rule of law. The bombs dropped on Belgrade during the Kosovo war were, in their primary meaning, political punishment directed at Milošević’s regime. In a way, they were the physical defense by the American state of the rule of law that the dictatorial regime had violated. In this context, when the reference is to Albania’s political reality, discussion of political struggle or American positions cannot ignore the global principle of defending democratic principles. A constant feature of American policy in Albania, at different times, has been precisely the creation of a state governed by the rule of law. In this guiding principle, Washington, the capital of a worldwide political emancipation, sees the only way to secure stability in a country gripped by a prolonged crisis. Consultancy crisis. Consultan-[?] to secure stability, which in Tirana has itself carried, and which diplomatic observations ... in Tirana have themselves carried and ... [?] ... through difficult times, which ... [?] ... a potentially powerful means of resolving difficult problems, which ... [?] ... Albania and the region at present. But if the discussion is about ... [?] ... or efforts to influence one direction or another, this has been ... [?] ... and respects the rules of the game within the legal space of Albanian policies and political forces. Naturally, without setting any precedent for interfering with the political and civic free will of Albanians in casting their votes freely. Thus, the USA remains a great friend of the Albanians, while never interfering in the domestic politics of the state. As champions of democracy, they want Albania, too, to uphold the rules of genuine democracy, although Albanian politics has disappointed them several times.

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