Foreign Policy Positioning of the Republic of Albania towards the United States of America and their Bilateral Relations from 2013 to 2022

Bošković Stefan (Istraživač pripravnik u Institutu za međunarodnu politiku i privredu, Beograd), stefan@diplomacy.bg.ac.rs

This paper examines the nature of the foreign policy positioning of the Republic of Albania as a small state towards the United States of America as a big power in international relations by analysing their bilateral relations from 2013 to 2022. The paper finds that Albania’s positioning is based on the need to secure an alliance shelter with the United States. The urges to realise the aforementioned alliance stem from Albania’s weaknesses at the international and state domestic levels. The protection that Albania enjoys from the US has a political, military, and economic-social character on an external and internal state basis. The implications of such bilateral relations for Albania include diverse foreign policy loyalties towards the United States. In addition, the consequences of enjoying such protection include substantial penetration and transformative intra-state effects in accordance with the intentions of its protector state.

Keywords: Albania, USA, small state, foreign policy, bilateral relations, alliance, protection/shelter