[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9124]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER BERISHA, AMERICA'S LOYAL FRIEND

  (Mr. ROHRABACHER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, Albania was struggling to 
leave behind its years of repression, dependence, and deprivation, a 
period when it was a North Korea clone. Now, Albania is a democracy 
with elected representatives who engage in open debates within a 
vigorous civil society.
  Albania is a member of NATO that continues to contribute troops to 
the International Security Force in Afghanistan and participated in the 
U.S.-led liberation of Iraq, and it now aspires to have membership in 
the European Union.
  In contrast to the atheist dictatorship it left behind, today, 
Albanian churches and mosques are full. Similarly, Marxist economics 
has been replaced with an expanding market economy. America needs to be 
especially grateful to the Government of Albania and to the Albanian 
Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, who has been a steadfast and courageous 
ally of the United States.
  Recently, when the U.S. needed countries willing to provide asylum to 
members of the MEK now stranded in Iraq, Prime Minister Berisha agreed 
to accept 210 members of that group--far more than any other country. 
That was a sign of good faith and friendship for America. It will not 
soon be forgotten, and it took real courage on the part of President 
Berisha to make this generous offer. We will not forget his friendship.

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