Albania and the USA mark the 101st anniversary of diplomatic relations this Friday, on 28 July 2023.  

Diplomatic relations between Albania and the USA began on July 28, 1922, a few months after the end of the Peace Conference in Paris, where American President Wilson sided with the Albanians. 

These relations had an interruption of 52 years during the Italian occupation and the communist regime, to be restored again on March 15, 1991 with the overthrow of the regime and the establishment of democracy. 

First US ambassador in Tirana was Ulysses Grant Smith, who started the diplomatic mission on December 4, 1922. While William Ryerson became the first American ambassador after the restoration of these relations in 1991. 

On the other hand, the first Albanian ambassador in Washington was Faik Konica, who was appointed to this position in 1929 by Ahmet Zogu. 

Meanwhile, the first senior US official to visit Albania was US Secretary of State James Baker who came to Tirana on June 21, 1991, 3 months after the restoration of relations and the first US president to visit Albania was President George W. Bush on June 10, 2007. 

Last year, within the framework of the 100th anniversary of US-Albania diplomatic relations, several different activities were held, where the close partnership between the two countries was emphasized and that the US remains one of Albania’s strategic allies. /ADN