Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Washington, D.C.

They celebrated the 100th anniversary of U.S.-Albanian diplomatic relations and Blinken praised Albania’s continued tradition of providing safe harbor to those in need by hosting at-risk Afghans.

“The Secretary noted our strong cooperation at NATO and on the UN Security Council, and thanked Prime Minister Rama for Albania’s clear support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russian aggression”, State Department Spokesperson, Ned Price said in a press release.

Blinken also reiterated U.S. support for “Albania’s EU accession and regional economic integration, while emphasizing the need to fully implement justice reform and combat corruption.”

“Looking forward to the next 100 years!” Blinken wrote on Twitter about his meeting with PM Rama and the centennial anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

“Excellent meeting with Secretary Blinken. Grateful for the opportunity to discuss future cooperation between our countries and concrete ways to deepen our strategic partnership,” Olta Xhaçka, foreign minister of Albania wrote after the meeting. “We value this partnership, and we are proud of the friendship between our people.”