The US Ambassador in Tirana, Yuri Kim has hosted at a special dinner at the Ryerson House all the former foreign ministers of Albania since 1991. The President of the Republic, Ilir Meta, as well as the former leader of the Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, were invited to this dinner. 

At the roundtable organized on the occasion of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Albania, the American diplomat sat next to the head of state, Ilir Meta and former socialist minister Ditmir Bushati. 

While at the dinner table, Basha is sitting next to the former socialist minister Kastriot Islami, recently a former DP MP.

"As part of our celebration of the 100-year anniversary of U.S.-Albania diplomatic relations, Ambassador Yuri Kim had the honour of inviting all of Albania’s Foreign Ministers since 1991 for a special dinner at the Ryerson House. Ambassador Kim expressed the United States’ deep appreciation for the contributions made by each and every Minister to Albania’s historic developments and achievements, including advancing the transition from communism to democracy, leading Albania into NATO and toward EU membership, chairing the OSCE, and winning a seat on the United Nations Security Council. 

Most of all, she thanked the Ministers for their role in strengthening the relationship between the United States and Albania, reminding that all of us – American and Albanian diplomats alike – have the fortune to be able to build on the work of our predecessors and the obligation to lay the groundwork for our successors," the US embassy said.