Joint Statement (January 18, 2012)
21 January 2011 was a painful day in Albania’s recent history, with violent demonstrations in the Albanian capital. On that tragic day, four protesters were killed and dozens of others were injured, including other protesters, bystanders and police officers. We would like to again express compassion for the family members of the victims of this senseless and inexcusable violence.
Vlora Celebrates Martin Luther King Day
On January 17th a group of students from “Lef Sallata” elementary school in Vlora gathered at the American Corner there to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with Embassy officials. The Assistant Public Affairs Niles Cole and the students discussed the important milestones in Dr. King’s life and his efforts to advance civil rights in America.
Giving Blood to Save Lives
The U.S. Embassy, in cooperation with the Red Cross, held a blood drive yesterday inside the Embassy in order to donate blood to the Albanian Blood Bank. The Red Cross, working with the U.S. Embassy’s Medical Office, gathered 34 liters of blood.
Celebrating MLK Day at the American Corner Tirana
Over thirty students from the University of Tirana, the Wilson School, and Planet Center gathered at the American Corner in Tirana to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with U.S. Embassy officials. The students came to learn why Dr. King is honored with a federal holiday about the long-lasting effect his legacy has had on American society.
The 2012 State of the Union
President Obama (Jan. 24): "Think about the America within our reach...A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world."
Latest Headlines from the Embassy
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Statement by U.S. Ambassador Alexander A. Arvizu at Prosecutor General’s Office (January 23, 2012)
One year ago we witnessed an unspeakable tragedy unfold in the streets of the capital. It began with a deliberate provocation by a small number of protestors against the police who were simply doing their duty. There followed quickly a general deterioration of the situation, and it culminated, as we all know, very tragically, in a response by the security forces, which resulted in the shooting deaths of four protesters as well as many others who were injured.
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Transcript of Interview U.S. Ambassador Alexander Arvizu on “Top Story” at Top Channel Television (January 19, 2012)
Sokol Balla: Good evening and welcome to Top Story. As you have seen from the advertising on Top Channel, Top News, and the newspaper Shqip, there is a great echo of expectations for tonight’s Top Story, with the special guest, after 10 months, U.S. Ambassador to Albania, Mr. Alexander Arvizu. Mr. Ambassador, good evening and thank you that you are here again on Top Story.
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Interview of Ambassador Alexander A. Arvizu at Ora News TV (December 30, 2011)
Ora News: Mr. Ambassador, welcome to the Ora News Studio. I believe we made you feel welcome. Ambassador Arvizu: Always great to visit here. I think it’s the third or fourth time coming here and it’s a warm welcome like a family, so I always I appreciate your invitation to visit. Ora News: Thank you. Le’s get to the issues we want to hear from you. A year of ups and downs for Albania is coming to an end. In your opinion as a diplomat of the most important country in Albania, how would you consider 2011 in terms of achievements and failures?
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Transcript of U.S. Ambassador Alexander A. Arvizu Interview with Aleksandër Çipa, Editor, Shqip Newspaper (December 23, 2011)
Shqip: Mr. Ambassador, what is your assessment of democracy currently in Albania, and particularly institutional democracy? Ambassador Arvizu: When you say institutional democracy, it causes me to reflect and reformulate the answer, because the democratic experiment in Albania is ongoing. I think there has been a lot of progress over a 20-year period, but what concerns me is the fact that in Albania there is still lacking what I call a liberal tradition, that a lot of the trappings of democracy, a lot of the basic structures are in place. We have a pretty vibrant press, people are free to express their opinions, NGOs are pretty active.
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Statement By Secretary Clinton on Passing of Vaclav Havel (December 18, 2011)
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Vaclav Havel, the Czech Republic’s first democratically elected president and leader of the Velvet Revolution. His death is a loss for the Czech Republic and for human rights defenders around the world. He was an inspiration to me and I was proud to call him a friend.
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Secretary's Op-Ed: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence -- Secretary Of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (December 7, 2011)
Picture a woman. She might live anywhere in the world. She could be part of any socio-economic group, of any ethnicity, of any religion. On a typical day this woman starts her day before the sun rises. She works for 8-12 hours in a store or on a farm or at a factory or in someone's home for a small wage, but her children and elderly relatives depend on her income for survival. When she comes home, she asks her children what they learned that day at school and what they want to be when they grow up.
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PHOTO GALLERY
Visionaries: African Americans Tell Their Stories
Histories of African-American elders.
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eJournal USA
A World Free of Nuclear Weapons
Examine the challenges of achieving nuclear disarmament.
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U.S. Ambassador to Albania
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Alexander A. Arvizu
Alexander A. Arvizu is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, rank of Minister Counselor. (Read his complete biography)
