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S E C R E T STATE 013860 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2019 
TAGS: OVIP CLINTON HILLARY PGOV PREL NATO AL ENRG
ECON 
SUBJECT: SECRETARY'S FEBRUARY 6 MEETING WITH ALBANIAN PM 
BERISHA 
 
Classified By: EUR A/S Dan Fried, Reason: 1.4 (b) and 
(d) 
 
¶1.  (U) February 6, 2009; 11:30-12:00 p.m.; Washington, 
D.C., USA. 
 
¶2.  (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
 
THE SECRETARY 
EUR-STUART JONES 
ACTING A/S PA ROBERT WOOD 
NSC-KATHERINE HELGERSON 
EUR-JERRY ISMAIL-NTKR 
 
Albania 
 
PRIME MINISTER BERISHA 
AMBASSADOR SALLABANDA 
DCM COLLAKU 
FIRST EMBASSY SECRETARY MISHTO 
 
¶3. (S) SUMMARY.  The Secretary met Albanian Prime 
Minister 
Sali Berisha February 6.  Berisha was in Washington to 
attend the National Prayer Breakfast and host a dinner 
for 
members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  In a 
warm and open exchange, the Secretary expressed 
gratitude 
for Albania's support for the U.S.-led mission in 
Afghanistan, its collaboration against extremist groups, 
and its acceptance of eight Guantanamo detainees. 
Berisha 
responded the GOA would continue to play an active role 
in Afghanistan; Albania planned to send another 60 
troops 
to its mission there.  The Secretary congratulated 
Albania 
on its impending accession to NATO, noting that the 
invitation to join the Alliance reflected Albania's 
reforms over the last decade.  Raising concerns about 
the 
Lustration Law pending before Albania's Constitutional 
Court, the Secretary underscored that the US wanted to 
see 
Albania as a fully democratic country that respected 
independent institutions, rule of law, and promoted free 
and fair elections.  The PM assured her that there was 
no 
higher priority for his government than working closely 
with the opposition to promote fair and transparent 
elections.  He pledged that the GOA would not interfere 
in 
the Constitutional Court's review of the Lustration Law. 
Berisha also indicated that Albania could accept a 
modest number of additional Guantanamo detainees and 
asked if the U.S. could support a new gas pipeline 
connecting Azerbaijan to Italy through Albania.  The 
Secretary requested a written proposal on the pipeline 
initiative.  END SUMMARY. 
 
----------------------------------- 
SPEAKING AS FRIENDS ABOUT DEMOCRACY 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) During their thirty minute meeting in Washington, 
the Secretary warmly congratulated Albania on its 
impending NATO membership, noting that the invitation to 
join the Alliance reflected significant reform steps the 
GOA had taken over the last decade. As a friend of 
Albania, the Secretary urged the PM to redouble his 
efforts to promote Albania as a fully democratic country 
that respected independent institutions and the rule of 
law.  Emphasizing that June's parliamentary elections 
would be a visible indicator of Albania's democratic 
maturity, the Secretary signaled anything other than 
free 
and fair elections would be an embarrassment for Albania 
and all its supporters. 
 
¶5. (C) Berisha assured the Secretary that there was 
nothing more vital to his government than holding free 
and 
fair elections.  Although there were some technical 
flaws, 
international observers characterized Albania's 2007 
local 
elections as fair and credible.  Through close 
collaboration with the opposition Socialist Party, 
Albania 
was able to amend the electoral code, establish a 
bipartisan elections committee, and complete 
digitization 
of voter rolls.   The government also began issuing 
biometric national ID cards and passports to ensure a 
transparent vote that will reflect the will of the 
people.  He welcomed additional US and international 
monitors to ensure June's elections met international 
standards. 
 
¶6. (C) The Secretary sought the PM's commitment to 
respect 
the rule of law as Albania deliberates over the adoption 
of the anti-Communist Lustration Law.  Berisha noted 
that 
Albania had a lustration law on its books in 1995, but 
the 
opposition party abrogated it the following year. A new 
law was necessary, he said, to remove officials from the 
communist era who have burrowed into high government 
office.  He blamed the opposition for failing to 
cooperate 
on the bill, claiming that it abandoned the drafting 
process in June after two years of negotiations. 
 
¶7. (C) Berisha acknowledged that appeals of the 
Lustration 
Law were pending before the Constitutional Court and 
assured the Secretary that his government would not 
interfere with the Court's review process.  He added 
that 
the GOA would only "use legal and legislative means" to 
address defects the Court identified.  The PM said he 
was 
troubled that four members of the Constitutional Court 
were "tainted" by their own Communist-era service and 
that 
Albania lacked the clear conflict of interest standards 
that the US and EU have.  While he would respect the 
decision of the Constitutional Court, even if the four 
judges did not recuse themselves, he held out the 
possibility of appealing the Constitutional Court's 
ruling 
to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, KOSOVO and GUANTANAMO BAY 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Thanking Berisha for Albania's contributions to 
US 
efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as its valuable 
role in promoting Kosovo independence, the Secretary 
said 
she was convinced that Albania would make a strong new 
NATO Ally.  The Secretary also expressed the USG's 
appreciation for Albania's decision to accept eight 
former 
Guantanamo detainees.  Berisha noted his government had 
maintained its presence in Iraq as long as it could but 
the GOI had terminated its mandate in December.  Albania 
would continue supporting coalition needs by sending an 
additional contingent of 60 soldiers to Afghanistan. 
 
¶9. (S) Labeling the facility as the wrong symbol for 
America, Berisha welcomed the decision to close the 
Guantanamo detention facility.  To facilitate the 
process, 
he offered to accept a modest number of additional 
detainees in Albania, as long as they were not Uighur. 
GOA acceptance of Uighurs had nearly severed Albania's 
relations with China, he said, and the GOA could not 
risk 
another confrontation 
with Beijing. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
CORRUPTION, ECONOMIC REFORM AND INVESTMENT 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶10. (SBU) The PM underscored his government's commitment 
to fighting organized crime and public corruption and 
stressed Albania had developed strong working relations 
with neighboring law enforcement agencies.  GOA efforts 
had led to the prosecution of hundreds of organized 
crime 
figures.  Berisha also pledged to continue strengthening 
conflict of interest rules for public sector employees. 
 
¶11. (SBU) PM Berisha extolled the benefit of U.S. 
assistance.  USAID and Millennium Challenge Corporation 
(MCC) projects to reform the GOA's  revenue collection 
arm 
had helped the government realize revenue growth of 22% 
annually over the last three years.  The GOA has been 
able 
to collect $3.2 billion more in revenue over the past 
three years even as tax rates have declined.  The US 
assistance programs also saved taxpayers $500 million in 
administrative costs.  And thanks to US programs, new 
businesses can register in one day for virtually no 
cost. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Noting Russian attempts to dominate the 
Balkans 
energy market, Berisha asked if the U.S. could support a 
new gas pipeline that would connect Azerbaijan with 
Italy 
running through Albania.  His preliminary discussions 
with 
Italian and Turkish leaders indicated some interest, 
although he acknowledged there was some hesitation due 
to 
downward pressure the plan would have on gas prices. 
The 
Secretary requested that the GOA provide the Department 
with additional details on the proposal. 
CLINTON