The Council for Albanian-American Relations (AARC) held a meeting with the American congresswoman of Greek origin, Nicole Malliotakis, where a number of issues related to the Western Balkans and the Albanian-American community were discussed.

The news was announced by the president of AARC, Martin Vulaj, who announced that during the meeting, emphasis was placed on the importance of strengthening relations between Kosovo and Greece, as well as the need for the deepening of cooperation between the two countries, with the aim of achieving formal recognition of Kosovo by Greece.

“One of the main topics of discussion was the strengthening of relations between Greece and Kosovo and the encouragement of closer cooperation that in the future may lead to the official recognition of Kosovo by Greece”, says the AARC announcement.

The representatives of the organization also raised concerns regarding the rights and status of Albanians in North Macedonia, underlined the importance of continuous American engagement and monitoring of the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. The meeting also discussed the student movement in the country and its demands for institutional accountability.

According to the announcement, congresswoman Malliotakis showed special interest in regional developments, posing questions about the most pro-American countries in the Balkans, Russian and Chinese influence, as well as how Serbia exerts its influence in the region.

“We emphasized that Kosovo remains one of the most pro-American societies in the world, while Albania and the Albanian communities in North Macedonia and Montenegro have consistently demonstrated strong support for the United States and the transatlantic alliance,” the statement continued.

The AARC representatives also discussed Serbia’s efforts to exert political, economic, media and security influence in various countries of the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo.

The AARC delegation at this meeting was led by chairman Eli Rusi and included vice chairman Tony Marke, secretary Burim Rexhaj, board members Agim Jusufi and Vehbi Bajrami, as well as other supporters of the organization.

Source: prizrenpost