The US will continue to declare non grata and will permanently ban the entry of all Albanian persons “involved in major corruption cases”.
According to Article 7031, section (c) mentioned by Ambassador Yuri Kim, in a letter to the leaders of the political parties in the country, every year the US Senate approves the list of persons who can not enter the US.
Under this article, to date, the US has revoked the right to travel to the US, former chief prosecutor Adriatik Llalla and former mayor of Durres Vangush Dako.
Ambassador Kim also expressed US support for anyone committed to punishing corrupt individuals:
“The United States is committed to the fight against corruption and stands by anyone who seeks to stop and punish corrupt officials for illegal activities.”
She also asked the leaders of political parties to properly assess candidates for MPs in the upcoming elections.
“We encourage political parties to veto the candidates and select only those who are in accordance with Albanian law,” Yuri Kim wrote in a letter sent to the chairman of the SP, LSI and PD.
Kim stressed that they are solely responsible for the persons running in their party logo. She reminded Albanian politicians of the decriminalization law through which deputies and mayors resigned.
During the June 2019 local elections during which the Socialist Party took control of every Municipality, several Mayors were found to have criminal records that they attempted to conceal.
