US committed to supporting Albania's EU accession: Blinken

BELGRADE, Serbia

The US is committed to supporting Albania on its path to European Union accession and in fighting corruption and organized crime, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday.

During his visit to the capital Tirana, Blinken said the US and Albania have an extraordinary partnership.

"This partnership between our two countries is stronger than it's ever been and the relationship for us is critical to addressing some issues that are crucial to our peoples. It's a two-way street, and we're doing things for each other to benefit both the Albanian people and the people of the US," he said in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama.

He added that Albania has been a firm supporter of Ukraine since day one of Russia’s war of aggression.

Blinken later said he discussed cooperation to advance regional stability, cyber defense and judicial reform.

Rama said the US has been, is and will remain a steadfast supporter of the final recognition of Kosovo as a sovereign, independent state and the fulfillment of its international subjectivity.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, with most UN member states including the US, the UK, France, Germany and Türkiye recognizing it as an autonomous country.

Serbia, however, still considers Kosovo as its territory.

Blinken on Wednesday started a four-day visit to Germany and Albania to discuss support for Ukraine and peace efforts in the Middle East.

He will reaffirm the strength of relations with Albania, which the US sees as a "key partner for stability in the Western Balkans" and a "firm ally" in supporting Ukraine, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

Blinken will later travel to Germany to take part in the Munich Security Conference as part of a US delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris.

During the conference, he will highlight support for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and cooperation among international institutions and states, Jim O'Brien, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, told reporters.