ALBANIA'S NEW FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000637

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA'S NEW FOREIGN MINISTER

REF: 08 TIRANA 164 (NOTAL)

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN L. WITHERS II FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d
).


1. (C) Summary: As Albania's new Foreign Minister, Movement
for Socialist Integration (LSI) Chairman Ilir Meta will
likely contrast sharply both in style and substance with the
former FM Lulzim Basha, who now serves as Minister of the
Interior. Meta previously served as Prime Minister and FM,
and has an extensive background in foreign affairs. He can
be combative at times - he once physically tackled an MP in
parliament during a speech - and his mannerisms are abrupt
and in sharp contrast with the smooth, sophisticated boyish
charm that former FM Basha displayed. Meta is a shrewd and
dogged political tactician who will pursue his own agenda as
much or more than that of Prime Minister Berisha. He will
likely use his time as FM to rebuild his own political
fortunes as well as those of his LSI party in hopes of one
day becoming PM again. Meta's first priorities are likely to
be EU integration, primarily visa liberalization, and
strengthening Albania,s regional cooperation. Overall, the
direction of the Foreign Ministry will likely change little,
and U.S.-Albanian relations are expected to continue to
deepen and flourish. End summary.

What We Can Expect From Meta as FM
--------------


2. (C) During his previous time as Foreign Minister (July
2002 to July 2003),Meta was seen as a pragmatist in terms of
policy, and a good manager within the Ministry. One of
Meta's final acts as FM was to push through civil service
reforms that increased salaries and made the MFA a more
professional ministry. Most Embassy contacts within the MFA
appear relieved to have Meta back as FM, both because Meta is
seen from within the Ministry as an above average FM, and
because outgoing FM Basha was widely seen as a poor manager.


3. (C) Yet despite repeated assurances from Meta and Berisha
that they will work together as a team, tensions and conflict
are inevitable. Whereas Lulzim Basha was a loyal Democratic
Party servant of the PM, Meta comes to the MFA with his own
agenda - to rebuild his own political fortunes as well as
those of his LSI Party. Meta will likely exercise much more
independence as FM than Basha, and will probably not hesitate
to tell international partners when, where and how he
disagrees with the PM. Whereas Lulzim Basha could be counted
upon to be the charming face of Berisha's foreign policy,
Meta will likely serve a much different role. Nevertheless,
in terms of foreign policy, Albania's goals under Meta will
remain the same: EU integration; strong ties with the U.S.,
and stronger relations with Albania's neighbors.

Relations with the U.S.
--------------


4. (C) Traditionally, the bilateral relationship with the
U.S. has been the exclusive domain of the FM and PM. How
this will play out under Berisha-Meta remains to be seen.
Former PM Pandeli Majko told PolOff that Berisha will likely
seek ways to go around Meta in terms of contact with the USG,
using emissaries from the Prime Minister's Office or other
ministers to press Berisha's agenda and bypass Meta. Several
observers suggested that Berisha could also try to install a
loyalist in the Albanian Embassy in Washington in order to
take his message directly to Washington.

Meet the New Minister
--------------


5. (C) Meta's re-emergence from the political wilderness as
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in a Berisha-led
government was an outcome few expected from the June
parliamentary elections. Meta's dramatic return comes after
years of struggling to work his way back up the rungs of
power after becoming Prime Minister in 1999 at only 30 years
of age. Meta's comeback has been impressive, particularly
after his ill-fated hunger strike against changes in the
Electoral Code failed miserably last fall (reftel) and his
LSI party managed to win only four seats in the most recent
parliamentary elections. While Meta emerged weaker from the
poorly planned strike, he quickly regrouped and cast himself
(correctly it seems) as the kingmaker for the June 28
elections. With the four parliamentary seats LSI won in the
elections, he was able to keep PM Sali Berisha's Democratic
Party (DP) in power by forming a coalition with the DP,
giving the DP-LSI coalition a ruling majority.

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6. (SBU) Meta broke from the SP and formed LSI in 2004 after
falling out with then-SP Chairman and PM Fatos Nano, and from
2004 until now struggled to carve out a role for himself on
the left. Although Meta and Nano have patched things up,
Meta and current SP Chairman Edi Rama remain bitter rivals.
Meta served as PM from 1999 to January 2002 when he was
forced to resign after a power struggle with then Socialist
Party (SP) Chairman Fatos Nano. During his two and a half
years as PM, he advanced efforts to modernize the economy,
privatize business, fight crime, and reform the judiciary and
tax systems. He was also outspoken in his efforts to
integrate Albania into the greater European community. In
early 2001, when fighting involving an Albanian separatist
movement erupted, he supported greater rights for the
Albanian minority but condemned the rebels' violent tactics.


7. (SBU) Prior to his appointment as PM, Meta served as
Deputy PM and Secretary of State for Integration at the MFA.
From 1996 to 1997, he served as Deputy Chairman of the
Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Affairs. He has also
been an MP since 1992. In the early 1990s, Meta was one of
the leaders of the student movement which brought about the
end of Communist rule, and chaired the Albanian-Euro
Socialist Youth Forum, a Socialist International member
organization. From 1993 to 1996, he was the SP's Deputy
Chairman for Foreign Affairs. Meta also has extensive
business interests, is very wealthy and is widely held to be
spectacularly corrupt. Meta was born in Skrapar, Albania on
March 24, 1969 and studied at the University of Tirana where
he received a Master's Degree in Economics. He speaks fluent
English and Italian and is married to Monika Kryemadhe, with
whom he has two daughters and a son. Kryemadhe is an
accomplished politician herself, having served as a member of
the Tirana city council. She ran for parliament in the June
general election but failed to win a seat.


8. (C) Comment: Meta is no stranger to foreign affairs as
his bio indicates, and he should have a short learning curve.
His previous tenure at the MFA was marked by increased
attempts at European integration and this theme will continue
with issues such as visa liberalization. Two MFA officials
have told Post that they are pleased with his selection, with
one noting that "there are much worse choices." Both sources
suggested that staffing changes would be minimal in the MFA
with the changeover, but said he will likely bring in several
of his loyalists to serve as assistants. Meta can be
combative at times, as shown by his initiation of a
bench-clearing brawl on the floor of parliament in 2006 (he
later expressed regret for the incident),but at the same
time he can be a shrewdly pragmatic political operator. Meta
will certainly use his time as FM and DPM to build up his
image as a statesman to improve his political standing, with
an eye on someday becoming PM again. While Meta will be
quite different from former FM Lulzim Basha, we expect no
real changes in the MFA's focus or direction.
WITHERS