US lawmakers urge Marco Rubio to weigh Albanian visa restrictions

Two Republican congressmen sent a letter to United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging his department to impose visa restrictions on corrupt Albanian officials, Fox News reported. The lawmakers raised concerns about democratic backsliding in Albania as violent anti-government protests demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. [1]

The congressmen highlighted that the United States has invested heavily in the justice reforms of Albania, which is a NATO ally and a candidate for European Union membership. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Albanian police recently deployed tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets against anti-government protesters in Tirana who initially gathered to protest high tuition fees and education costs. [1][6]

Marco Rubio was appointed the 72nd United States Secretary of State in 2025, having previously served as a Republican senator representing Florida. Albania operates as a unitary parliamentary republic with a secular constitution, historical roots tracing back to Illyrian tribes, and an ethnic Albanian majority. [2][4]

The request for action from the congressmen comes as opposition figures and demonstrators intensify their demands for Edi Rama to step down amid the ongoing political unrest in the country. [1][6]