US Senator McCain visits Tirana. US-Albania partnership and ISIS at center of talks

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – U.S. Senator John McCain visited Albania on Friday, where he highlighted the U.S.- Albania military partnership, the importance of the country’s judicial reform, and efforts to defeat ISIS.

Senator McCain, who serves as the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, met with President Bujar Nishani, Prime Minister Edi Rama, Parliamentary Leader Ilir Meta, and Opposition Leader Lulzim Basha. Senator McCain also observed military training, and met with members of the Albanian Armed Forces.

While President Nishani, PM Rama and opposition leader Lulzim Basha spoke of McCain as a great friend of Albanian people and of the region, a press release from the Albanian Parliament says that Speaker Ilir Meta had asked the US senior Senator to use his influence so that the United States increase their attention towards South East Europe, guaranteeing that Albania will continue to be a solid partner in pushing forward the western agenda in the Balkans.

McCain visits Albania amid concerns over growing Russian influence in the region and several unstable spots in Macedonia, Bosnia and Kosovo. Concerns have also been shared over terrorist activity in the region through the so called ‘foreign fighters’ who have returned home from Syria and Iraq in recent months.

Despite calls from the US, opposition democrats are currently boycotting parliament and demand the prime minister’s resignation whom they accuse of links with criminals and organised gangs who control the drug trade in the former communist country. A ‘decriminalization law’ has been approved which aims to get rid of criminals within Albania’s parliament, largely supported by both the US and the EU.

Tirana Echo has learned that during all his meetings McCain has asked Albania’s political leaders to increase the country’s spending within NATO while urged them to work together towards implementing an anti corruption justice reform package which was approved by parliament last July.

The US and the European Union expect Albania to step up its efforts to fight corruption and organized crime if it wants to join the EU. Membership talks have been conditioned on proper implementation of justice reform and free and fair elections, scheduled to be held in June.