ALBANIA APPROVES AMENDMENT TO CLAIMS SETTLEMENT

UNCLAS TIRANA 000479 SIPDIS SIPDIS EUR/SCE (BENEDICT); L/CID (MWALTER) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINV EIND AL US SUBJECT: ALBANIA APPROVES AMENDMENT TO CLAIMS SETTLEMENT TREATY REF: 05 STATE 205603 ¶1. Per reftel, we approached the MFA last year to request the suggested amendment. The Council of Ministers approved the amendment in mid-April 2006 and the MFA issued a confirmatory Diplomatic Note (Note verbal 6012) on April 27th. ¶2. Embassy's translation of the MFA's note follows: (Verbal note) No. 6012 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in Tirana and has the honor to refer to the Embassy,s note verbale nr. 123, dated November 18th, 2005, which states the following: "The Embassy of the United States of America presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania and has the honor to refer the Ministry to the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Albania on the Settlement of Certain Outstanding Claims signed March 10, 1995 and to paragraph 1 of the Agreed Minute to the Agreement, which reads as follows: For purposes of article 1, the term 'United States nationals' shall include dual United States-Albanian nationals only if those nationals are domiciled in the United States currently or for at least half the period of time between when the property was taken and the date of entry into force of the agreement. The Embassy also has the honor to refer to discussions between representatives of our two governments that have concluded that this provision of the Agreed Minute is no longer necessary. Therefore, the Embassy proposes that the Agreement be amended be deleting paragraph 1 of the Agreed Minute in its entirety and renumbering the remaining paragraphs accordingly. If the foregoing proposal is acceptable to the Government of the Republic of Albania, the Embassy proposes that this note and the Ministry,s affirmative note in reply shall constitute an agreement, which shall enter into force on the date of your note in reply. The Embassy of the United States of America avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania the assurances of its highest consideration." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania has the honor to notify that the Albanian counterpart agrees with the proposal of the Embassy of the United States of America in Tirana on amending the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Albania on the settlement of certain disputes, signed on March 10th, 1995. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also the honor to confirm that the verbal note of the Embassy of the United States of America in Tirana, no. 123, dated November 18th, 2005, and this replying note, constitute an agreement, which enters into force upon the date of this replying note. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania avails itself once more of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of United States of America in Tirana the assurances of its highest consideration. Tirana, April 27th, 2006. ZATE