Albania Opposition Signs Lobby Firm Before US Visit

Albania's opposition Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha travels on Monday to the US with key aides for meetings with members of Congress and US officials to discuss democracy and the rule of law in Albania.

However, BIRN has learned that on the eve of the visit the Democratic Party signed a contract with the lobbying firm Podesta Group to secure access to Washington's top echelons.

Records published by the US State Department through the Foreign Agents Registration Act, FARA, show the Democratic Party signed a contract with Podesta on March 8.

"Registrant will provide strategic council to the principal on strengthening the principal's ties to the United States government and institutions. Registrant will also assist in communicating priority issues in the United States-Albania bilateral relationship to relevant US audiences, including the executive branch, US Congress, media, and policy community," Podesta writes in its filing with FARA.

"At the request of the principal, meetings with executive branch officials and members of Congress and their staff will be arranged," the company added.

According to the filing, the fees and duration of the contract between the Democratic Party and the firm have yet to be determined and will be disclosed in future.

The Podesta Group is not unknown to the Democratic Party. During its time in power, the former Democratic Party-led government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha contracted the Washington-based firm to the tune of $60,000 (?53,000) a month to advise the government from 2011 to 2013.

Although the firm headed by Anthony Podesta was supposed to advise the Albanian government on how to improve ties with the US, a BIRN Investigation found that on the eve of the Albanian parliamentary...

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