One of the executive orders that US President Donald Trump signed as soon as he took office also affected Albania, the one suspending foreign aid.
For lawyer Ylli Manjani, it is not necessary to pay much attention to the order to cut off funds, as according to him, it is not the US that has supported our country the most financially.
"I don't think I would call it a withdrawal on the part of America. The latter, due to its own problems or executive issues, will 'pinch' the situation."
On the other hand, I don't think that the US has been present enough all these years to deserve so much attention. The Swedish government in Albania is much more present with funds, it is at least 5 times more than the American government. Even the Swiss government is 2 times more present than the American one in foreign aid. The EU is 10 times more powerful in terms of the assistance it has brought to Albania", said Manjani.
For the lawyer, the greatest gratitude from Albanians should go to the European Union regarding the amount of funds in Albania.
"The Albanian people who love America 60%, should understand that they do not justify it financially. They should be grateful to the EU for the amount of funds it has in Albania. EU money has been poured directly into the infrastructure sector. The only infrastructure with US government money is an audio system in the courts, but something very small in value.
"Most of the American assistance in Albania has been for consultancy purposes," added Ylli Manjani on the 'Now' show.