Prime Minister Edi Rama and Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting at the State Department. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Albania for hosting about 2,000 Afghans who were evacuated from the US during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

"I am pleased to welcome you to the State Department, Mr. Rama. Giving us the opportunity to talk about the work that the US and Albania are doing together in several directions. We will sit next to each other at the United Nations. We are grateful for the work we are doing there, together. But what I want to tell you is that at the beginning of the summer, you were the first to accept evacuated Afghan refugees. What you have done is a great honor, it shows the generosity of Albania. That has opened its doors to about two thousand Afghans. I am grateful for this but also for the work we are doing for close ties through NATO, even at the UN where we have many challenging issues", Blinken said. 

Rama on the other hand stated that Albania is proud to be an ally of US, adding that we appreciate friendship with America as one of the most precious ones. 

"It is an honor to be here and a pleasure to see you at the beginning of the year that marks the 100th anniversary of our relationship. We value this friendship as the most precious and we are proud to be your allies. We will do our best to maintain this special friendship," Premier declared.

Rama is in New York for a 4-day official visit. Earlier, Prime Minister Edi Rama stated, at the reception organized for the start of Albania's mandate in the UN Security Council, that “this is an event of historical importance for Albania, which marks another cornerstone in our path of transformation. to fulfill our aspirations as a nation and to contribute to making the world a better place for us and for all ”. 

On the occasion of the beginning of Albania's mandate in the UN Security Council, a reception was organized in the USA, attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama, the President of the General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka and other important personalities.