The United States Embassy in Tirana has distributed a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who links the power of a state to the economy, domestic production, border control, and energy security.
"A country that is unable to build ships, produce medicine, control immigration or provide access to vital resources cannot protect its people, cannot protect its interests and cannot protect its way of life," Rubio said.
But if the American message is placed against the Albanian reality, the contrast is hard to miss.
Albania produces almost none of the things Rubio mentions as indicators of a state's power. It doesn't build ships, it doesn't produce the medicines it consumes in sufficient quantities, and it relies heavily on imports for a large portion of the products and resources it uses.
Even the sector that has traditionally been considered one of the bases of domestic production, agriculture, is facing continuous decline and difficulties, according to official data.
Under these conditions, Rubio's message sounds somewhat bitter when read from Albania.
