Albanian Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha

U.S.-Albanian Relations and Albania’s Progress Toward EU and NATO

The New European Democracies Project at CSIS hosted a policy forum with the Albanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lulzim Basha. Janusz Bugajski, director of the New European Democracies Project, chaired the forum.

Basha is Albania's new foreign minister following the resignation of Besnik Mustafaj on April 24. His visit to the United States comes at a critical time for the region and the focus of his presentation will be Albania's progress toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Albania recently signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), which represents a key step toward EU membership, and expects an invitation to join NATO at the next Alliance summit in 2008. Basha will also discuss the forthcoming visit of President George W. Bush to Tirana on June 10, 2007.