(2013-1015-F) Albania

The materials in 2013-1015-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. This FOIA consists of records related to Albania country files contained within the White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) system. Albania, officially known as the Republic of Albania, is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south and southeast. President Clinton is celebrated as a hero by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority for launching NATO's bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999 that stopped the Serb forces crackdown on independence seeking ethnic Albanians. After the Kosovo War of 1998-1999, the Albanians in Kosovo wanted to thank President Clinton for his help in their struggle against the government of the former Yugoslavia. On November 1, 2009, in a ceremony at which the former president spoke, a 10-foot high statue of President Clinton was unveiled on the Bill Clinton Boulevard, which is located in Pristina, the capital and largest city of Kosovo. FOIA 2013-1015-F consists of congressional correspondence thanking President Clinton for his friendship with Albania and urging him to meet/invite Albanian President Sali Berisha to the U.S. The correspondence also discusses the treatment of ethnic Greek minorities in Albania, the Albanian parliamentary elections, the emigration laws and policies of Albania, the tensions/fighting in Albania and Kosovo, the murder of at least 45 Albanians in Racak, Kosovo, and the humanitarian efforts regarding the refugee crisis and camps in Albania and Hungary. The records also contain memoranda, reports from Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia regarding his visits to Albania and the Balkans, and a cable on Independence Day greetings to President Clinton. The responsive material also contains records on correspondence and meetings with President Berisha.