Public statement, of the Pan-Albanian Federation of America Vatra, about the announcement, ‘non grata’ of the former, albanian president, dr. Sali Berisha

2437 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458

Tel: 718-365-68-52

Web:www.gazetadielli.com

Email-gazetadielli@gmail.com

PUBLIC STATEMENT OF THE PAN-ALBANIAN FEDERATION OF AMERICA VATRA, ABOUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT ‘NON GRATA’ OF THE FORMER ALBANIAN PRESIDENT DR. SALI BERISHA

The Pan-Albanian Federation of America, Vatra, (The Hearth) has followed with great concern the announcement of dr. Sali Berisha, a “non grata” person, from the head of the US State Department. This is because in the late ’90s it was dr. Sali Berisha, who rose against the communist regime which had executed, imprisoned, and interned thousands of Albanians, simply because their relatives (we) had fled the dictatorship and settled here in America.

It was dr. Sali Berisha, who led the protests of Albanian students in December 1990 and then fought bravely for the overthrow of the bloody communist regime and the establishment of democracy. It was the leadership of dr. Sali Berisha turned Albania from the most hostile country to America to its friendliest people. Today, most Albanians see America as their second, the most beloved country in the world. It was dr. Sali Berisha, as the leader of the democratic opposition at the time, who received Secretary of State James Baker on a lead of a 100-thousand supporters in March 1991, when diplomatic relations, which had been suspended since 1939, were re-established.

In 1992, he was the first Albanian President ever, who stepped for the first time in the White House. There, he received support from President George H. Bush for Milosevic’s non – touching of Kosovo’s borders, as well as the status of the Most Favorite Nation in Trade with America. He was the same one who was welcomed in the White House by President Clinton in 1995.

In 1997 he lost the election. Later, after 8 years in opposition, in 2005, he returned to power as the head of the Albanian government.

During 8 years in power, 2005-2013, he managed to cut off the routes of illegal trafficking, install the rule of law, give full freedom to the press and free enterprise, and build a modern infrastructure in cooperation with American companies. Above all, he managed to meet all the conditions for Albania to become a member of the largest political-military organization, NATO. Its membership in this organization was declared by American President George W Bush, in Tirana, on June 10, 2008. He also maintained a friendship with President Barack Obama and Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, who visited Albania at the time when he was Prime Minister, on the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. During the second term of dr. Berisha as Prime Minister, Albanians for the first time received the status of free movement in the European Schengen area. At the same time, Albania opened negotiations for membership in the European Union.

Based on a democratic, free, and fair electoral process, which he had led for years, he lost 2013 elections and made the smooth transition of power from his Democratic party government to the Socialist one. Since that day, he has not held any executive post. None of his family members have ever held positions in government offices, in any government of Albania.

As an oppositionist, he turned to be the voice of the common people of that nation by constantly denouncing the wrongdoings and rampant corruption of today’s socialist government. Since 2013, the socialist government continues to stay in power, based on anti-democratic elements such as manipulation and mass vote theft, (2017, 2019, 2021) cooperation with organized crime, trafficking of human beings and drugs, elections without opposition, sharing public money with oligarchs, controlling the media and justice, etc. All these have been noticed by international organizations, including the US State Department itself, which reports every year a drastic decline of Albania in the list of the most corrupt countries in the world.

The most determined opponent of all these wrongdoings was Dr. Sali Berisha himself, now in opposition and retired.

The Pan-Albanian Federation of America, around which are gathered hundreds of thousands of Albanian-Americans, has considered dr. Sali Berisha as their true friend, as the man who opened Albania to the west, and to America,in particular; We have seen dr. Berisha was the friend of America as long as he was in power, a friend of all presidents in a row, George Huber Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

We Albanian – Americans gathered around Vatra (The Hearth), were surprised by the non – grata proclamation of dr. Sali Berisha, because until that day we saw in him the most beloved man in America, in the Balkans. We have seen the man who did so much for Albania and the Albanian nation, and Kosovo, too. Recently he was engaged in an uncompromising fight against all those who were preparing the territorial division of Kosovo, which he considered as the opening of the “Pandora’s Box” in the Balkans. The danger posed by this initiative of anti-Albanian lobbies was confirmed by the executive order issued by President Biden, a few days ago, and which goes completely in line with the opposition that dr. Sali Berisha made against such plans.

The announcement ‘non grata’ of dr. Sali Berisha has many unanswered questions for us, the Albanian-Americans. Naturally, as American citizens, we have reasons to believe in our state here. However, in the situation when no arguments and evidence are given on which this decision is based, this makes us think that more than a measure taken based on American principles, it has been taken under the pressure of lobby groups for certain interests. We doubt that those interests are neither for the good of our America nor the benefit of our beloved Albania.

Members of the Pan-Albanian Federation, wherever they live in all parts of the United States of America, will ask the representatives of the American people they voted for to raise this issue based on their right to ask for explanations to the administration of Mr. Biden to argue with facts the veracity of the accusations that have brought about such an extreme measure. Otherwise, they should release dr. Berisha from the burden of a moral responsibility which does not belong only to him and does not honor even those who have applied him if they have no facts.

Awaiting a response from the authorities we remain confident that this issue will be clarified shortly.

Issued by the Board of Directors of the Pan-Albanian Federation of America – Vatra (The Hearth) New York, XX June 2021