In a major political development, former Albanian Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party (DP), Sali Berisha, has reportedly had his “non grata” status officially lifted by the United States government, according to local media outlets and sources close to the Democratic Party.
While official press releases from the US Department of State and the US Embassy in Tirana are still pending, Berisha effectively confirmed the news on his official Facebook page, posting the triumphant message: “I have arrived! It is done!”
The Strategic 15-Minute Phone Call
According to investigative reports by Lapsi.al, the State Department’s decision to reverse the high-profile sanction was delivered to Berisha directly.
The Diplomatic Reversal Pipeline (June 11, 2026)
[ US State Department Decision ]
│
▼ (Direct 15-Minute Official Phone Call)
[ Nancy Van Horn (US Chargé d'Affaires) ] ──► [ Sali Berisha (DP Leader) ]
│
▼
Public Facebook Post:
"I have arrived! It is done!"
The communication was allegedly handled via a 15-minute phone conversation conducted by the US Chargé d’Affaires in Albania, Nancy Van Horn, who personally informed the veteran politician of the policy shift.
A Look Back: The 2021 Blinken Designation
The original sanctioning of Berisha marks one of the most polarizing chapters in Albania’s modern political history:
- The May 2021 Ban: Berisha and his immediate family members were initially designated “non grata” by former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
- The Allegations: The Biden administration’s State Department barred Berisha from entering the United States, citing direct involvement in “significant corruption” and actions that actively “undermined democracy in Albania.”
- The Fallout: The designation triggered an aggressive, years-long civil war inside the opposition Democratic Party, fracturing leadership ranks and completely reshaping the country’s domestic political landscape.
The Road to Reversal: Administrative Shifts and Controversies
The ground for this diplomatic reversal reportedly began shifting back in May 2025. At the time, a State Department spokesperson hinted at an impending policy realignment, clarifying that Washington regularly grants specific travel waivers to align with fluid national and foreign policy interests.
The spokesperson notably added that the US would not allow its bilateral relations with Tirana to be “held hostage by the politicized decisions of the Biden era.”
| Key Actor | Past Institutional Stance & Context |
| Antony Blinken (Former Secretary of State) | Imposed the absolute ban in May 2021 on grounds of systemic corruption. |
| Yuri Kim (Former US Ambassador to Tirana) | Fiercely defended the 2021 blacklisting, stating it was the result of a multi-year, multi-agency institutional probe rather than any single individual’s decision. |
| La Civitas Lobbying Firm | Political opponents of the Democratic Party allege that the groundwork for lifting the ban was intensely manufactured by this public relations and lobbying group. |
With Berisha’s public declaration today, the political architecture of Albania is poised for a major reshuffling as the opposition looks to capitalize heavily on the removal of this diplomatic barrier.
