The US Embassy in Tirana has reacted to the news that former Prime Minister and President Sali Berisha has filed a defamation lawsuit against US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Providing a comment to BalkanWeb, the US Embassy said that “following President Biden’s executive order, Secretary Blinken’s announcement, and Ambassador Kim’s statements to the media,
Sali Berisha will be a member of parliament with the opposition Democratic Party parliamentary group, he announced on Thursday, despite demands by the United States for PD leader Lulzim Basha to exclude him from the new legislature in September. “There is no force on earth, except God, to prevent me from exercising the mission I
Former Prime Minister, President, and founder of the Albanian Democratic Party Sali Berisha has announced he has filed a defamation lawsuit in French courts against US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. He made the announcement this morning at a press conference in the Rogner Hotel in the capital of Tirana. Berisha said that since Blinken’s
Ambassador of the United States in Albania, Yuri Kim has penned an open letter of sorts to Prime Minister Edi Rama and leader of the Democratic Party Lulzim Basha, reminding them that the US wants a partner in Albania “not a problem.” In one of her more measured comments, she called on “leaders to reflect
US Ambassador Yuri Kim has asked opposition Democratic Party (PD) leader Lulzim Basha to dismiss Sali Berisha from the party’s parliamentary group before the new legislature starts in September. On Friday, after a meeting at the PD headquarters with Basha, Kim told journalists that the opposition leader is responsible for making sure the party will
New York and Tirana — The U.S. Secretary of State can combat corruption and gross human rights violations by invoking the Section 7031 (c) provision, which bars individuals found to be highly corrupt or as egregious violators of human rights from entry to the United States. The recent designation of Albania’s former President and Prime
The US Supreme Court has refused to hear the defamation case filed by Shkelzën Berisha, the son of Albania’s ex-President and ex-Prime Minister Sali Berisha. The refusal came after Justice Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch urged the court to reconsider the protections that make it harder for public figures to sue for defamation. Noting the
Philip T. Reeker, a top diplomat in President Joe Biden’s administration, highlighted the United States’ priorities in Albania during meetings with top politicians in Tirana on Thursday. Reeker met with Prime Minister Edi Rama, opposition leader Lulzim Basha, several ministers, as well as judges and prosecutors who have passed the vetting under the ongoing justice
A Tirana Court has agreed to review a defamation lawsuit filed by Shkëlzen Berisha, the son of former President Sali Berisha, against Socialist whip Taulant Balla. In July 2020, Balla claimed in several posts on social media, and during a speech in parliament, that Berisha received loans from banks by using as collateral assets gained
Today, the Albanian Media Council nominated Armela Krasniqi and Alket Dibra to run for head of the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA). The two candidates will be forwarded to Parliament for its vote. The Parliament’s pick will become chairman of AMA, which supervises and regulates media and telecommunications in Albania. The Council considered four people: Armela