The relationship with Berisha in the '90s and the opinion on the Rama government / Christopher Hill confesses

2025-12-08 22:45:00, Politikë CNA

The relationship with Berisha in the '90s and the opinion on the Rama

Former American ambassador, Christopher Hill, spoke tonight about the period of the 1990s, when he served as a diplomat in Albania.

In an interview for the show "Noë me Erla Mëhillin" on Euronews, Hill also shared details about the relationship she had at the time with the leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha.

The former ambassador was further asked about the current government and Prime Minister Edi Rama. Hill said it was not his job to comment on Albanian politics, but added that he is proud of Albania's relations with the US.

Excerpt from the interview:

Erla: In the spring of '91, when you came to Albania, you worked with some of the political figures of the time. You had contacts with Ramiz Alia, the last communist president. At that time, I believe you also had contacts with Sali Berisha, who at that time was the leader of the Democratic Party, the force that overthrew communism and brought pluralism to Albania – of course with your support. And other figures, Gramoz Pashko, Fatos Nano, etc. How do you remember the last former communist president Ramiz Alia and the conversations with him on the issue of opening the country and launching political reforms?

Hill: Of course, these reforms were coming and in fact they started with the renaming of the Socialist Party, even though the SP had many members from the old Party of Labor. Of course, it should be understood that the SP had many people who had come from the system, Ramiz Alia had produced them, even Enver Hoxha. And then the Democratic Party came out and it was something different, because they were saying that they had no connection with the former governing structures, they had no connection with the Party of Labor, on the contrary they were very young, very oriented towards the West. So definitely the Solidarity movement in Poland had a feeling that things were changing in Albania as well. So, clearly, when you are a diplomat, you work with whoever is there. Whoever it is, I can't say that I like him or I like that, that's not my job. And by the way, I have to say that every time I have tried to do something like that or at least in my mind, I am always wrong. So it's quite difficult for you to appoint your own leaders, and it's impossible to appoint the leader of a foreign country, and I respect that. I don't want to advertise my book, but you'll see some examples in my book where I'm saying that it's impossible for you to elect someone else's leader, that's their job, that's the job of these countries.

Mendoj se Ramiz Alia ishte nga ata njerëz… më falni, Fatos Nano ishte nga ata persona të cilët përfituan nga sistemi i vjetër dhe po shikonin se si të përfitonin edhe nga sistemi i ri. Pra nuk është se kishte një vullnet të mirë ndaj tij në atë kohë. Ndërkohë nga ana tjetër Partia Demokratike ishte duke ardhur, ishte diçka e re, shumë dinamike në atë kohë. Unë vazhdoj të ndjej se kushdo i cili zgjidhet nga partitë është një çështje e brendshme, është për shqiptarët që t’i zgjedhin këta, nuk është puna e diplomatëve. Dhe nuk ndjehem rehat me këtë ide, më ndodh shpesh jo vetëm në Shqipëri por edhe në vende të tjera, vijnë tek ambasadori amerikan dhe thonë: “Çfarë po bën ti?” Sikur është zgjedhja jonë, por nuk është zgjedhja jonë. Në rrethana më të mira ti je aty për dy-tre vite, dhe në rastin tim unë më pas u largova drejt Azisë. I përket shqiptarëve që duhet të jetojnë me këtë lider.

Erla: Patjetër, ato janë zgjedhje të popullit shqiptar, ju duhet thjesht të punoni. Megjithatë, si kanë qenë marrëdhëniet tuaja me liderin e Partisë Demokratike Sali Berisha aso kohe?

Hill: Mendoj se kishim marrëdhënie korrekte. Ju mund të shikoni në fillim dhe mund të shikohej që prej fillimit që PD nuk ishte një familje e madhe e lumtur, nuk ishte e tillë. Dhe në fakt shumica prej partive politike nuk janë të tilla, shumica prej partive politike kanë kundërshtitë e tyre, konkurrencat e tyre dhe gjëra të tilla, diçka të tillë mund ta shikoni edhe në Shqipëri. Ajo që mund të them si diplomat i huaj është: shikoni të punoni me njëri-tjetrin sepse vëmendja ndërkombëtare është tek ju. Dhe njerëzit mund ta duan Shqipërinë por me shumë gjasa nuk u pëlqejnë problemet politike të Shqipërisë, pra njerëzit duhet të kuptojnë që këto probleme janë problemet tuaja dhe ju lutem mos kini pritshmëri që t’jua zgjidhim ne problemet tuaja. Dhe mund të shikoja brenda PD që nuk ishte shumë ndryshe nga partitë e tjera, ju keni rivalitete të ndryshme së brendshmi dhe ky nuk është problem im, është problem i tyre. Problemi im ishte që të përpiqesha të inkurajoja njerëzit që kur të takoheshin me një zyrtar të lartë amerikan si Baker-i, ti nuk do të jesh në një situatë të tillë kur dikush do të thotë: “Unë jam miku, mos i dëgjo këta të tjerët, unë jam miku yt”, sepse njerëzit nuk duan ta dëgjojnë diçka të tillë. Ne nuk jemi të interesuar në gjëra të tilla dhe meqë ra fjala, nëse je një shqiptar që i thua një sekretari shteti amerikan “puno me mua, mos puno me atë”, kjo nuk është shumë efektive.

Erla: Megjithatë Sali Berisha, dikur lideri i parë që solli pluralizmin me mbështetjen e SHBA, sot i shpallur non grata po nga SHBA. Cili është komenti juaj për këtë?

Hill: I have some personal views on this issue, with the declaration of persona non grata, people who are politicians versus criminals. However, I'm not sure if expressing my personal opinion as a former diplomat would be a good idea, so I'll keep those views to myself. So I look forward to your next question.

Erla: What about the current Prime Minister Edi Rama and his government, now in its fourth term, how did you get to know him and what do you think?

Hill: I knew about him from the newspapers at the time, I don't remember if I was in Poland at the time when I first heard his name or maybe I was in Korea when I first heard it. But I heard his name and it was always positive, but I think the first time we really met was in 2015, something like that.

Erla: After he came to power, what is your opinion about him and his nearly 4-term government?

Hill: Again, it is not my job to comment on your politics, you should take an Albanian politician and ask him such political questions. I am an American diplomat, what I can say is that we have very good relations with Albania, we are very proud of our relations, very happy that Albania became a NATO ally and to see the progress that Albania has made in this regard. As for EU membership, I have been to Brussels and I have heard a lot of very good words about Albania and what I can say is that you continue in this way and do not ask foreign diplomats to comment on Albanian politicians. /CNA