International Religious Freedom Report for 2012 - Albania
The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom and, in practice, the government generally respected religious freedom. The government continued to address claims from religious groups for the return or restitution of property seized during the former communist era; however, many of the property claims remained unresolved.
DCM Participates in USAID Conference with Judicial Officials (May 15, 2013)
On May 15, Deputy Chief of Mission Henry Jardine, President Bujar Nishani, and Minister of Justice Eduard Halimi, delivered remarks at the opening of this year's National Court Leadership Conference, organized by USAID and OSCE.
Albania’s First EducationUSA Advising Center Inaugurated (May 14, 2013)
On May 14, Ambassador Alexander Arvizu, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Education Ardian Tana, inaugurated Albania’s first ever EducationUSA Advising Center, located on the premises of Marin Barleti University.
Record Number of Teachers Attend the ELTA Workshop (May 10, 2013)
On May 10, ELTA Albania, in cooperation with Tirana Regional Education Directorate (RED), organized the first Regional conference, Teach for the Future.
Embassy Hosts Youth Debate, Covered Live by Leading Albanian TV (May 3, 2013)
The Embassy hosted a high-profile youth debate on May 3 at the University of Tirana, with live television coverage provided by a leading network.
Students from Fier Youth Parliament Meet America (May 2, 2013)
A group of 40 students and their leaders from Fier Youth Parliament visited the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, under the Meet America program.
Latest Headlines from the Embassy
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Democracy in Albania: The Pace of Progress (May 6, 2013)
Thank you very much for the invitation to speak before the Helsinki Commission. We in the State Department have an extremely good rapport with the Commission. We value the work that you do, and I must say personally, from my experience and work in the Balkans – particularly over the past year and a half in this position, I think the Commission has played a significant role in fostering stability and democracy throughout the region for more than two decades now, and I appreciate very much your continued interest in the region.
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Europe Day Press Statement by John Kerry, Secretary of State (May 8, 2013)
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States of America, I would like to congratulate the people of the European Union as you celebrate Europe Day this May 9.
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Cardin Calls for End to Violence Against Journalists on World Press Freedom Day (May 3, 2013)
WASHINGTON— On World Press Freedom Day, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (MD), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) called for an end to violence against journalists, highlighting four murders from the 57-country OSCE region:
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Comments by U.S. Ambassador Alexander A. Arvizu During a Visit to Korçë (April 24, 2013)
Ambassador Arvizu: Thank you for coming. We’re happy to be here today. I spent one hour and a half talking about it last night, but maybe I could just repeat very briefly. Also, Jonathan Moore from the State Department said the same thing yesterday from Washington. These elections are very important for Albania's future. The Albanian people deserve a good election. Everyone wants to have a good election. In order to have a good election, you need a functioning CEC. Not a CEC based on a charade; it needs to be the result of political consensus, an agreement. The pieces are all in place.
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Statement by Secretary John Kerry on Earth Day (April 22, 2013)
The United States joins countries around the world today in commemorating Earth Day. Ever since I was involved in the first Earth Day in Massachusetts, way back in 1970, this has always been a day to reflect on our environmental challenges and our responsibility to safeguard our God-given natural resources on a fragile planet we share with the rest of humanity and which we must protect for future generations.
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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.
Emergency Contact for U.S. Citizens
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+355-(0)4-224-7285
Include: Crime Victim, Arrest, Death, Child Abduction, Life Threatening Illness or Medical Conditions, Lost/Stolen Passport of a U.S. citizen. Please note that this number cannot be used for visa inquiries. Visa inquiries are addressed at our web page “I Am Inquiring About”.
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)
