• Bilateral relations

Diplomatic relations between the United States and Albania were established on July 22, 1922, ten years after the declaration of independence, a relatively short period considering the extremely difficult historical circumstances that our country went through in the first years of the declaration of independence.
The USA has been a friend to Albania in moments when its existence was questioned, since the time of President Wilson.

Diplomatic relations between the United States of America and Albania were restored on March 15, 1991, after a break of 52 years. The US Embassy in Tirana reopened on October 1, 1991.

On June 22, 1991, former Secretary of State Baker III was the first high-level US official to visit Albania after the country’s long period of isolation.

The relations reached a climax with the visit that the President of the USA, George W. Bush made on June 10, 2007 in Tirana. This was the first visit of an American President to Albania.

The excellent relations between the two countries have been reflected and concretized in a series of visits of all levels. Among other official visits of the highest level by the American ambassador, the following are evident: Visits of American Secretaries of State: Mrs. Madeleine Albright (February 19, 2000); Mr. Colin Powell (May 2, 2003); mrs. Hillary Clinton (November 1, 2012); Mr. John Kerry, February 2016; Mr. Ramsfeld, the American Secretary of Defense, as well as visits by senior American officials.

On February 15, 2024, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an official visit to Tirana.

On the Albanian side, official visits have been made to Washington by Presidents, Speakers of the Assembly, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers.

Albania is grateful to the USA for its support in all the democratization and integration processes of the country.
The year 2009 marks another peak moment for Albania-USA relations, consolidating and concretizing an important alliance, the one within NATO.

Relations between our countries are of primary and strategic importance. The US is our ally and strategic partner. The level of bilateral relations is considered excellent. These relations have entered the phase of partnership on bilateral cooperation in all fields, in regional and global issues.
The Albanian government is fully committed to being a partner alongside the USA in consolidating democracy, implementing reforms in the justice system, maintaining stability, peace and prosperity in the Western Balkans region and beyond. The US supports Albania’s role in the region as well as on its path to membership in the European Union.

The Joint Declaration on Albania-USA Strategic Partnership, signed on April 20, 2015, during the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ditmir Bushati in Washington best reflects the partnership relations between the two countries. This document focuses on partnership and cooperation between the two countries on three levels: partnership on global issues; partnership for regional issues and partnership for the bilateral agenda, political dialogue, security, strengthening the rule of law in Albania, economic development, energy security and educational-cultural exchanges.

The strategic partnership and cooperation between the two countries recognize new dimensions. The first Albania-USA strategic dialogue took place on October 25, 2022 in Washington. The dialogue reaffirmed the strategic partnership relations between our countries, the readiness to advance a number of common bilateral priorities, as well as the contribution to security in the region and beyond.

During Albania’s mandate as a non-permanent member country in the Security Council 2022-2023, the cooperation within the Security Council marked a new dimension in the relations between the two countries.

Albania contributes to peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was among the first countries to join the international coalition against terrorism and ISIL, under the leadership of the USA, and makes an active contribution to this coalition.

Based on the strategic partnership with the USA, Albania welcomed over 2,000 Afghan citizens, for the entire necessary transitional period, before their permanent settlement in the USA, which was highly appreciated by the highest American authorities.

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• Economic cooperation

There is a desire and will for economic relations to reach the level of political relations. There is a vast space with untapped potential for increased economic exchanges and increased American investment in Albania.

For the realization of this objective, for the improvement of the business climate and legislation, the Government has undertaken, in a wider framework, a series of legal initiatives.

Within the framework of cooperation with American agencies or institutions, cooperation with USAID, the Albanian-American Fund for Enterprises, the American Chamber of Commerce, etc. is evident.

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• Bilateral agreements

1. Treaty on arbitration, signed on 22.10.1928, entered into force on 12.02.1929.
2. The reconciliation treaty, signed on 22.10.1928, entered into force on 12.02.1929.
3. The extradition treaty between the Kingdom of Albania and the United States of America, signed on 1.03.1933, entered into force on 14.11.1935.
4. Convention for the exchange of shooting orders, signed on 18.07.1932, entered into force on 1.10.1932.
5. Agreement regarding economic and technical assistance, signed on 10.06.1992, entered into force on the date of signing.
6. Agreement with exchange of notes regarding the employment of family members of government officials between Albania and the United States of America, date of signing on August 30 and September 30, 1993, entry into force on September 30, 1993.
7. Agreement on cooperation and data exchange for topographical, nautical, aeronautical maps and information, digital geodetic and geophysical data related to maps, and geodetic materials, signed on 25.03.1994, entered into force on 25.03.1994.
8. Memorandum of understanding regarding the establishment of diplomatic relations, signed on 15.03.1995, entered into force on the date of signing.
9. Bilateral economic agreement between the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America, signed on 10.06.1992, entered into force on the date of signing.
10. Agreement with exchange of notes for some changes in the “Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the USA for the settlement of some claims, signed on March 10.03.1995, entered into force on 18.04.1995. Its amendment was signed on 18.11.2005 for the USA and 27.04.2006 for our side.
11. Treaty between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the USA regarding mutual investment encouragement and protection, signed on 11.01.1995, entered into force on 4.1.1998.
12. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America for the US Peace Corps program in Albania, signed on 22.07.2003, entered into force on 9.10.2003.                                                                                                                                                                                                       13. Agreement on the implementation of the law between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America, signed on 10.1.2002.
14. Charter of the Adriatic between Albania, Macedonia, Croatia and the USA, signed on 2.5. 2003, entered into force on the date of signature.
15. Agreement between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America regarding the surrender of persons to the International Criminal Court, signed on 2.05. 2003, law no. 9081, dated 19.06.2003 entered into force 7.07.2003.
16. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America on cooperation in the field of preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and strengthening military and defense relations, signed on 12.05.2003, entered into force on date of signature.
17. Supplementary agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America, of the “Agreement between the States Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty and other States participating in the Partnership for Peace regarding the status of their forces” on the status of the forces of the United States of America in the Republic of Albania, signed on 31.03.2004, entered into force on 19.08.2004.
18. Air transport agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America, signed on 24.09. 2003, entered into force on 04.05.2004.
19. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America for the protection and preservation of certain cultural assets, signed on 12.07.2004, entered into force on 2.11.2009.
20. Agreement between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Albania and the US Department of Defense on the safe destruction, without risk and without consequences for the environment, of chemical weapons, signed on 30.12.2004, entered into force on the date of signing.
21. Agreement between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the American Corporation “Lockheed Martin”, “On the construction of the Integrated Maritime Space Observation System”, signed on 15.03.2005, ratified by law no. 9384, dated 04.05.2005.
22. Strategic objective grant agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the USA, to fight corruption, within the framework of the initial evaluation program of the millennium challenge, signed on 04/03/2006, ratified by law no. 9549, dated 1.6.2006.                                                                    23. Grant agreement on objective strategies between the Republic of Albania and the United States of America to fight corruption (Phase II), signed on 29.09.2008, ratified by law no. 10026, dated 11.12.2008 (USAID)
24. Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America, signed on 26.06.2009, entered into force on the date of signing.
25. Assistance Agreement between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America for governance with justice and in a democratic manner; investment in people and economic growth, signed on 30.9.2010.
26. Document of amendment number one of the Assistance Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America for fair and democratic governance, investment in people and economic growth, signed on 16.9.2011 for the US government and on 19.9.2011 for the government of RS.
27. Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the Albanian-American Development Foundation, signed on 06.07.2011, enters into force on the date of signature.
28. Document of amendment number two of the Assistance Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America for fair and democratic governance, investment in people and economic growth, signed on 4.4.2012, approved by VKM no. 789, dated 14.11.2012.
29. Agreement on aid for development objectives between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America for strengthening the rule of law, good governance and creating the conditions for a broad-based, sustainable economic growth and comprehensive, signed on 30.9.2013.
30. Grant agreement for development objectives between the US Government, acting through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Albanian Government “For strengthening the rule of law and good governance and creating conditions for economic growth broad-based, stable and inclusive”.
31. Amendment number four of the “Agreement on aid for development objectives between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the Government of the United States of America for strengthening the rule of law, good governance and creating conditions for economic growth based on wide, stable and comprehensive, signed on 29.12.2014.