Balkan Politicians Visit Washington to Pay Homage to Trump
Source: Balkan Insight
US President Donald Trump at the Capitol One Arena in Washington after he was sworn in as president, January 20 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE/ALLISON DINNER.
As well as official invitees from Balkan states, former ministers, party leaders and right-wing Trump admirers travelled to Washington to attend events around the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president on Monday, using the opportunity to network with US politicians and the new American administration.
Lulzim Basha, former head of Albania’s opposition Democratic Party, shared a photo on social media from the pre-inauguration ball, where he met Trump’s Special Envoy for Special Missions, Richard Grenell, who was envoy for Serbia-Kosovo talks under the first Trump administration.
“For Albanians, the US remains our ally and strategic partner. Strengthening cooperation and coordination with them is a major priority,” Basha wrote on Monday on Facebook.
Kosovo’s ambassador to the US, Ilir Dugolli, represented Kosovo’s official delegation. The mayor of Kosovo’s capital, Prishtina, Perparim Rama, attended the inauguration ball with his wife.
Former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, now leader of the opposition Future Alliance for Kosovo, was also present. Prior to the ceremony, he also met Grenell and several US Congressmen. Former President of Kosovo Behgjet Pacolli also was present.
Bulgaria’s former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, co-leader of the opposition We Continue the Change party, attended along with the party’s other leader, Assen Vassilev.
The events were “an opportunity to discuss important topics with other guests, including senators, congressmen, future members of Trump’s cabinet and state governors,” Petkov wrote on social media. He posted a photo of his invitation, saying that it came from “good friends in the Republican Party”.
Former Serbian Economy Minister Rade Basta, who had bragged publicly that he was invited to the inauguration, posted a photo on X from a ball held beforehand.
Basta was a minister during the current government of the Serbian Progressive Party but is no longer a supporter and has since founded the new EU Path Movement.
“Honoured to attend the Inauguration Ball celebrating President Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony in Washington, D.C. A truly unforgettable experience witnessing this historic moment. Wishing the new administration great success,” Basta wrote.
Panos Kammenos, former head of the Greek far-right Party of Independent Greeks, which co-governed with the left-wing Syriza party between 2015 and 2019, posted a photo on X of his invitation to one of the inauguration events at Washington’s Capital One Arena.
“Everything is changing. Some will stay with globalisation, staged wars, ‘green’ energy, the work agenda, the corrupt Europe of NGOs. The people will follow the path of Peace, the National Dignity of the Nation State, of the Family,” Kammenos wrote.
Another right-winger, Stephen Nikola Bartulica, a Croatian member of the European Parliament, said he was invited to the inauguration and had met up with members of the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists bloc in the European Parliament, and their US host, Alabama Congressman Robert Aderholt.
“The interests of Croatia and our people are my top priority. The Croatian voice will be heard these days in Washington. I am confident that better and more peaceful times await us!” Bartulica wrote on social media.
The original article: belongs to Balkan Insight .
