Ambassador Donald Lu met with Minister of Interior Saimir Tahiri

Ambassador Donald Lu met with Interior Minister of Interior Saimir Tahiri on January 20. During the meeting, the Ambassador and Minister Tahiri appreciated the longstanding, close ties between the United States and Albania. One of the United States’ key priorities is to support reforms and policies that will enhance Albania’s integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, and the Ambassador assured the Minister of the United States’ support in assisting the Ministry of Interior and the Albanian State Police to make their maximum contributions to this end. The Ambassador commended the Minister for his efforts, and those of Ministry staff and the Albanian State Police in sustained counternarcotics efforts over the past year. Ambassador Lu highlighted the importance of the fight against organized crime and corruption, and assured the Minister of the United States’ support of Albania’s efforts. Both agreed that degrading and eliminating the influence of organized crime in Albania is vital for the country’s democratic future.