US Secretary of State: Albania and Edi Rama are reliable partners of the US

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed his gratitude for the cooperation with Albania and his "reliable partner" in the person of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Blinken is on his first visit to the Balkan country, arriving this morning and already holding several high-level meetings.
He met with young people at the Pyramid in Tirana, accompanied by the Prime Minister.
The "Pyramid" is a huge building in the center of the city, dedicated in the past to the memory of the communist leader Enver Hoxha, and now turned into an innovation and education center.
"This is not a relic of the past, but a powerful symbol of the present and the future," Blinken told the students.
America's top diplomat thanked Albania for sheltering nearly 2,500 Afghans who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in August 2020.
Earlier today he met with some of those Afghan families who are waiting to go to the US.
"Their journey would not have been possible without Albania's help. It's not just that you wait for them, it's how you do it," Blinken said.
He stated that during his tenure at the head of American diplomacy, he found a reliable partner in the face of Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama, stressing that he was "by our side and together we overcame difficulties."
The American top diplomat gave a high assessment of the ties between the American and Albanian people.
Blinken's visit is assessed by experts in the field of diplomacy as historic and of great importance not only for Albania, but also for the entire region of the Western Balkans.
At Tirana airport this morning, he was met by Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hassani.
"Albania's strategic partnership and cooperation with the United States, our faithful ally, will only develop, built on a solid foundation between our countries and peoples," Hassani wrote in X.
The US State Department said the visit would focus on the future of Albania and the Western Balkans. /BGNES
Giant posters hailing Blinken's visit can be seen in the streets of Tirana today. According to recent opinion polls, a large majority of Albanians have a very positive view of the United States, especially its role in Kosovo. /BGNES