Outgoing New York Mayor Eric Adams is traveling by military helicopter and at government expense throughout Albania, while the prime minister is not making public the reasons for his visit.
Outgoing New York Mayor Eric Adams descended from an Albanian military helicopter in the city of Vlora on Monday and then stayed at the government villa on the coast, while the Albanian government made no announcement about his visit to Albania.
Adams himself announced the trip on the X platform, including photos with Prime Minister Edi Rama and several young businessmen.
“We discussed the thriving Albanian community in New York City and how we can develop strong business relationships with their homeland,” Adams wrote.
In a second photo, he appears with several young men he describes as "business leaders," heads of a construction consulting company based in Tirana and New York that is owned by Valon Pilku, an Albanian-American.
Adams' trip to Albania during his final weeks as mayor of New York has raised questions. In the United States, he has been facing federal corruption charges since September of last year, alleging that he has accepted plane tickets and luxury trips abroad as gifts, as well as undeclared foreign donations, for years. Adams denies the charges.
His spokeswoman, Kayla Mamelak Altus, told the New York Times that accommodation and ground transportation costs would be covered by the Albanian government, while New York taxpayers would pay for the rest of the trip, including airfare for the mayor and his traveling companion, Gladys Miranda, his aide, as well as expenses related to the security detail.
According to Altus, Adams' accommodation room in Albania costs around $200 per night and ground transportation around $90 per day, expenses unconfirmed by the Albanian side.
Government spokeswoman Manjola Hasa did not respond to BIRN's questions about the agenda of Adams' visit and how much this visit would cost Albanian taxpayers.
According to Adams' spokeswoman, his visit to Albania includes meeting with Rama and "business and technology leaders, visiting factories, and discussing new opportunities to increase economic activity and tourism to New York."
The New York Times further describes Adams' ties to Albania as "relatively deep for a country that has only little trade with the United States and a small population in New York."
The newspaper also recalls the involvement of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in federal corruption indictments against former senior FBI official Charles McGonigal. /BIRN/
