U.S. Relations With Albania

More information about Albania is available on the Albania Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.

U.S.-ALBANIA RELATIONS

The United States established diplomatic relations with Albania in 1922, following its 1912 independence from the Ottoman Empire. U.S.-Albanian diplomatic relations were ended in 1939 due to Albania’s occupation by Italy (1939-43) and Germany (1943-44) during World War II. After the war, Albania saw 40 years of isolation and underdevelopment under its  Communist leader, who died in 1985. With the 1991 fall of communism, the Albanian Government sought closer ties with the West in order to improve economic conditions and introduced basic democratic reforms. Diplomatic relations between the United States and Albania were reestablished in 1991.

The United States has been a strong partner and friend to Albania as it has made progress to consolidate democracy, to open up its economy, and to provide opportunity for all its people. Albania and the United States have signed and ratified a number of agreements, including a treaty on the prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the promotion of defense and military relations; the Adriatic Charter on Euro-Atlantic integration; and an agreement regarding the non-surrender of persons to the International Criminal Court. The United States supports Albania’s European Union membership goal, as it did Albania’s pursuit of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership.

Albania has contributed to regional and global security. Albanians credit the 1999 NATO intervention against the then-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with saving thousands of Kosovo Albanians, and supported United Nations mediation efforts in Kosovo. Albania has supported the U.S. policy of expanding the number of countries extending diplomatic recognition to Kosovo. Within the Adriatic Charter, Albania has acted as a mentor to new NATO aspirants. It has provided military troops for U.S.-led actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and has supported U.S. counterterrorism efforts by contributing to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, freezing terrorist assets, shutting down non-governmental organizations with possible links to terrorist financing, and expelling extremists.

U.S. Assistance to Albania

U.S. Government assistance aims to help Albania strengthen democratic institutions and rule of law; promote sustainable, broad-based economic growth; and integrate the country into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

The United States will continue to address a significant developmental challenge – countering corruption – that is critical for the country’s success in improving transparency and governance on its path of EU integration. To advance this objective, the United States will soon launch a new multi-year project called the U.S.-Albania Transparency Academy.  The Academy will focus on four programmatic pillars: Accountability and Oversight in Public Financial Management; Transparency and Ethics in the Private Sector; Youth Engagement in Promoting a Culture of Transparency; and Justice for All.

Bilateral Economic Relations

Trade with the United States accounts for a small part of Albania’s trade volume, and is focused on a narrow range of goods and services. Major imports from the United States include food (mainly meat), vehicles, machinery, and computer and electronic equipment, while the main exports to the United States include minerals, fuels and oil, agricultural products, footwear, and textiles. Albania is eligible to export certain products duty-free to the United States under the Generalized System of Preferences program. The United States and Albania have signed a bilateral investment treaty.

Albania’s Membership in International Organizations

Albania and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Albania also is an observer to the Organization of American States. As of June 2014, Albania is a candidate for accession into the European Union.

Bilateral Representation

Principal embassy officials are listed in the Department’s Key Officers List.

Albania maintains an embassy in the United States at 2100 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-223-4942).

More information about Albania is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:

ACE Country Assistance Fact Sheet (PDF)
CIA World Factbook Albania Page 
U.S. Embassy
USAID Albania Page 
History of U.S. Relations With Albania
U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics 
Export.gov International Offices Page 
Millennium Challenge Corporation: Albania 
Library of Congress Country Studies 
Travel Information