Clinton: In Albania, must prevail the rule of law

U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has made a statement today on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Albania and the U.S..

"On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I send the best wishes to the people of Albania, at this moment when our states restore twenty years of diplomatic relations on 15 March. After a break of 52 years, 1991 was indeed a new beginning - not only for our bilateral relations but also for Albania′s development as a democratic country and an international partner. This day commemorates our partnership, reminds us of the progress made and highlights the promise of the future of Albania, especially while you take the steps necessary to achieve the goal of European Union membership, "reads the statement of Hillary Clinton.

She continued by saying that even during the darkest years of the Cold War, the Albanians and Americans do not forgot the strong ties of friendship between our two countries.

She follows on to say that the United States continue to support Albania′s integration into the European Union. We welcomed the decision in late 2010 to allow the Albanians to travel visa-free anywhere in the European Union. Albanians have already achieved much, but more work remains on the path towards the EU - and this year will be crucial.