Former Finance Minister Xhevdet Hajredini notes that the interest of the US Embassy in Macedonia to go after corrupt high level officials has greatly diminished in the past months. Recently appointed US Ambassador Angela Aggeler began her term by declaring that a team of US sanctions experts have come to the country to inspect serious allegations of corruption in the Government. But after the team’s visit, months passed with no results.

The DUI party panicked when the team was announced. But what happened next? Is it a coincidence that three top State Department officials came one by one to dilute the situation and close Aggeler’s mouth? Did they tell her to drop the issue and that nobody cares about corruption?, asks Hajredini, who is strongly critical of corruption in the Albanian party that has been part of nearly all governments since starting the civil war in 2001, and has enjoyed full impunity.

The political focus is now firmly on getting the opposition to support the amendments to the Constitution in line with the Bulgarian demands. In the meantime, DUI party officials also spearheaded the signing of a huge highway contract with the US company Bechtel, a deal strongly supported by the US Embassy, despite the strong allegations of corruption.