
Who told Gashi about the affair? Trump certainly didn't
Neither Gashi nor his office answered any of the questions about his trip to the US – whether it was true that he was in the US unescorted and without security, and whether he was walking around Washington anonymously. According to protocols, he and his family should be under 24-hour security.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Afrim Gashi, has kept quiet about the visit to the United States and the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, although he went to Washington for that, judging by the few photos attached to the speaker's Facebook page. The public was left wondering whether the second person in the country was on a private walk or an official visit, at whose invitation, at whose expense - personal or of the citizens, as well as who he met with and what benefit citizens can expect from the meetings.
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Neither Gashi nor his office answered any of our questions about the trip to the United States. Not even whether it is true that he was in the United States without an escort, but also without security, which if true, is a precedent, and whether this means that the president was walking around Washington anonymously, which is extremely symptomatic and irresponsible, if according to protocols he and his family are under 24-hour security.
We only received official confirmation from the Ministry of Interior that they were notified about the speaker's trip to the United States.
Invited by nameless "organizers"
While the visit of the government delegation and its composition were announced, and the leaders of Vredi one by one declared in what capacity they were at the inauguration, only Gashi did not explain his trip. The President of the Alliance for Albanians and Minister of Health Arben Taravari He has already told "Sloboden Pechat" that he was invited to the inauguration by friends, and that he covered the expenses personally. The President of Alternativa, Zeqiria Ibrahimi, was invited by the "organizers" without specifying who they were.
For the trip to Gashi There is not a single letter on the official website of the Parliament, nor on the official Facebook page of the Parliament. There was no announcement from the Parliament about the visit of the US President. It is striking that on the website of the Parliament, which literally publishes every meeting of the Speaker and the MPs with international representatives, there is no record at all that Gashi was at the inauguration of TrampThe latest announcement on the parliament's Facebook page is that MP Beti Stamenkovska has been awarded the "Knight of the Order of Academic Palms." Only on Gashi's Facebook page can one find information that he was in Washington.
"During my visit to Washington, together with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Balkans in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Mr. Alexander Kasanoff. We reaffirmed the strategic partnership with the United States, the successful cooperation in NATO, as well as the country's unwavering vision for EU integration. This meeting, following his visit to the Parliament of North Macedonia a month ago, was essential for the commitment to strengthen ties and alliance with the United States," informed Gashi.
In another post, Gashi is photographed with Ibrahimi and First Deputy Prime Minister Izet Mexiti, who was also part of the government delegation. He says they are in Washington "to demonstrate our serious commitment to strengthening this alliance."
Unofficially, the invitations to Trump's inauguration for Taravari, Ibrahimi, and Gashi were provided by the Albanian business lobby in the United States, and they paid for their own plane tickets.
According to this, it appears that Gashi was on a private visit to the United States, but it is unclear why he is avoiding officially confirming this.
For the Prime Minister, the visit is historic.
The Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, on the other hand, is extremely satisfied with the visit to the United States, which he assessed as historic and at the highest state level so far. However, he did not specify whether the invitation was "through private channels", that is, from a highly paid specialized agency, or whether he received it officially, at the initiative of the United States. Mickoski only revealed that he stayed in a three-star hotel. Regarding the criticism from the opposition, the Prime Minister said that this is the policy of the opposition and people close to it.

– I was the isolated Micko, then the isolated VMRO-DPMNE, then the servant of this one, of that one, that I did not listen to anything from those same people. What is important is that the visit was made only in the interest of the citizens and the state. They were making up which hotels I slept in. I understand them, it is an attempt to defocus on a peripheral topic. In Washington, I slept in a hotel with three plus stars. These are attempts to defocus from the essence. All meetings will bring added value for the citizens. A historic visit at the highest level that anyone has ever made – said Mickoski.
The State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption informed "Sloboden Pechat" that they have opened a case regarding the officials' trip to the United States.
– A case has been opened at the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. After determining the factual situation, the State Commission will make a decision that will be publicly announced – the Anti-Corruption Commission says.