US secretary of state visits Albania, a key regional ally seeking European Union membership

By LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Albania to reaffirm relations with a key partner in the Balkans and an ally in supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion. Blinken is meeting with top officials Thursday and will focus on the future of the Western Balkans as Albania and several neighbors seek to join the European Union. Washington has strongly supported Albania’s integration into the EU. The U.S. has praised Albania’s leadership in the former war-torn region and its recent role on the U.N. Security Council as a non-permanent member. Albania is a NATO member and has regularly assigned small army units to international peacekeeping missions and NATO operations. Albania will host an international summit on Ukraine later this month.