Bujar Nishani

Bujar Nishani
Bujar Nishani; OMRI OPMM
President of Albania
	In office; 24 July 2012 – 24 July 2017
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha; Edi Rama
Preceded by	Bamir Topi
Succeeded by	Ilir Meta
Minister of the Interior
	In office; 21 April 2011 – 12 June 2012
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha
Preceded by	Lulzim Basha
Succeeded by	Flamur Noka
	In office; 20 March 2007 – 17 September 2009
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha
Preceded by	Gjergj Lezhja (Acting)
Succeeded by	Lulzim Basha
Minister of Justice
	In office; 17 September 2009 – 25 April 2011
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha
Preceded by	Enkelejd Alibeaj
Succeeded by	Eduard Halimi
Personal details
Born	29 September 1964; Durrës, Albania
Political party	Democratic Party (Before 2012); Independent (2012–present)
Spouse(s)	Odeta Kosova (m. 1994)
Children	2 (Ersi, Fiona)
Alma mater	Skanderbeg Military University; Naval Postgraduate School; University of Tirana
Signature

Bujar Nishani (Albanian pronunciation: [bujaɾ ni'ʃani]; born 29 September 1964) is an Albanian politician. He served as President of Albania from 24 July 2012 to 24 July 2017.

Before his election as President, Nishani held a number of governmental and diplomatic positions. Namely, he served as Minister of Justice from 2009 to 2011, and as the Minister of Internal Affairs from 2011 to 2012. The Parliament of Albania elected Nishani as President with a simple majority of 73 votes out of 140 members, without consensus from the opposition.

Early life, education and career

Nishani was born in Durrës, Albania on 29 September 1964. He graduated at the Skanderbeg Military University in 1988 and followed in 1996 his master studies in the United States at the Naval Postgraduate School.[1] In 2004, he graduated at the Law Faculty of University of Tirana. He completed his master in European studies.[2]

Nishani is married to Odeta Nishani and has two children, a son Ersi, and a daughter Fiona. He was born into a secular Bektashi Muslim family.

After the fall of communism in Albania in 1991, Nishani joined the Democratic Party of Albania. He worked as chief of foreign relations in the Ministry of Defense and then as head of the office of NATO relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1996, he was appointed as Minister of Defense.

After the Democratic Party lost the 1997 parliamentary election, he lost his office and became Chairman of the NGO for Euro-Atlantic Army. In 2001 he was elected as general secretary of the DP's branch in Tirana and in 2004 as a member of the Tirana city council.

He won the 2005 election in the 34th electoral zone in the capital against the Minister of Police and Security, Igli Toska. After leading the National Security Parliamentary Commission he was nominated as Minister of the Interior by Prime Minister Sali Berisha, and in September 2009, after a second electoral victory, he was nominated as Minister of Justice. In 2011 he replaced Lulzim Basha as Minister of the Interior.[3]

On 12 June 2012, after winning the presidential election, Nishani resigned as Minister of the Interior.[4] He was sworn in as President in front of the Parliament of Albania on 24 July 2012.

Presidency

During his term of office, Nishani was focused on the European integration process of the country and global challenges affecting Albania such as the immigrant crisis or combating Islamic extremism and radicalization.

He was elected in 2012, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of establishing independent Albania and it was a yearlong celebration. During his first months in office his agenda focused on meetings with the Albanian community in the Balkans and the Albanian diaspora to commemorate the 100th anniversary, and to honor and respect all those who fought and sacrificed for the rights existence of the modern Albanian state. His first state visit abroad was in Kosovo, to show that Albania stays committed to help in the process of international recognition of the independence of Kosovo.

During his last addressing to the United Nations on September 2016 at the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly he stated that, Albania would address these global challenges in close cooperation with other actors. Its actions would include increasing humanitarian aid, ratifying the Paris Agreement on climate change and implementing all commitments in the security realm.[5]

During most state visits abroad, Nishani's policy was maximally oriented towards strengthening good-neighborly relations, citing its support for Kosovo’s participation in all multilateral regional and international activities.[6]

Nishani meets with John Kerry during his official visit in Tirana. (14 February 2016)

Nishani meets with the Polish Prime Minister, Beata Szydło in Tirana. (9 December 2016)

Honours

2013 - Albania - Honorary Citizen of Libohova
2016 - Albania - Honorary Citizen of Shkodër[7]
2017 - Kosovo - Honorary Citizen of Prizren[8]
2017 - Kosovo - Honorary Citizen of Glogovac[9]

Foreign honours

2014 - Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[10][11]
2015 - USA : Raoul Wallenberg Award[12]
2016 - 1st class Order of Stara Planina[13]
2016 - Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi, Order pro Merito Melitensi[14]
2017 - Kosovo Order of Freedom[15]

References

"ALBANIA AND THE WESTERN BALKANS: A EUROPEAN FUTURE?". thechicagocouncil.org. 27 September 2016.
"Bujar Nishani – President i Republikës së Shqipërisë". president.al (in Albanian).
(in Italian) Agenzia Nova Archived 24 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 20 April 2011
Takim përshëndetës me stafin e Ministrisë së Brendshme i Z. Bujar Nishani pas zgjedhjes në postin e Presidentit të Republikës Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania, 12 June 2012 (in Albanian)
"Albania H.E. Mr. Bujar Nishani, President". 23 September 2016.
"Albania's President Bujar Nishani Arrives in Bulgaria on 2-Day Visit". 6 October 2015.
"Kreut të Shtetit shqiptar i jepet Titulli "Nder i Qarkut të Shkodrës"". president.al (in Albanian). 1 November 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
"Kreut të Shtetit shqiptar i jepet titulli "Qytetar Nderi" i Prizrenit". president.al (in Albanian). 14 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
"Drenasi vlerëson Presidentin Nishani me titullin "Qytetar Nderi"". president.al (in Albanian). 14 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
"Nishani S.E. Bujar Decorato di Gran Cordone". quirinale.it (in Italian).
"Italia-Albania, Napolitano giunto a Tirana per visita di Stato". it.notizie.yahoo.com (in Italian). 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
"Presidenca - Nr. 5 Viti i katërt i botimit SHQIPTARE" (PDF). president.al (in Albanian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
"Nishani dekorohet nga homologu bullgar me Urdhrin 'Stara Planina'". shqiptarja.com (in Albanian). 2 July 2016.
"Grand Master Fra' Matthew Festing receives the President of Albania Bujar Nishani on an official visit". orderofmalta.int. 7 November 2017.
"President Thaçi received the President of Albania, Bujar Nishani". president-ksgov.net.

External links

MP page at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly

Political offices
Preceded by Gjergj Lezhja Acting	Minister of the Interior 2007–2009	Succeeded by Lulzim Basha
Preceded by Enkelejd Alibeaj	Minister of Justice 2009–2011	Succeeded by Eduard Halimi
Preceded by Lulzim Basha	Minister of the Interior 2011–2012	Succeeded by Flamur Noka
Preceded by Bamir Topi	President of Albania 2012–2017	Succeeded by Ilir Meta

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[1] "ALBANIA AND THE WESTERN BALKANS: A EUROPEAN FUTURE?". thechicagocouncil.org. 27 September 2016.

[2] "Bujar Nishani – President i Republikës së Shqipërisë". president.al (in Albanian).

[3] (in Italian) Agenzia Nova Archived 24 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 20 April 2011

[4] Takim përshëndetës me stafin e Ministrisë së Brendshme i Z. Bujar Nishani pas zgjedhjes në postin e Presidentit të Republikës Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania, 12 June 2012 (in Albanian)

[5] "Albania H.E. Mr. Bujar Nishani, President". 23 September 2016.

[6] "Albania's President Bujar Nishani Arrives in Bulgaria on 2-Day Visit". 6 October 2015.

[7] "Kreut të Shtetit shqiptar i jepet Titulli "Nder i Qarkut të Shkodrës"". president.al (in Albanian). 1 November 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.

[8] "Kreut të Shtetit shqiptar i jepet titulli "Qytetar Nderi" i Prizrenit". president.al (in Albanian). 14 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.

[9] "Drenasi vlerëson Presidentin Nishani me titullin "Qytetar Nderi"". president.al (in Albanian). 14 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.

[10] "Nishani S.E. Bujar Decorato di Gran Cordone". quirinale.it (in Italian).

[11] "Italia-Albania, Napolitano giunto a Tirana per visita di Stato". it.notizie.yahoo.com (in Italian). 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.

[12] "Presidenca - Nr. 5 Viti i katërt i botimit SHQIPTARE" (PDF). president.al (in Albanian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.

[13] "Nishani dekorohet nga homologu bullgar me Urdhrin 'Stara Planina'". shqiptarja.com (in Albanian). 2 July 2016.

[14] "Grand Master Fra' Matthew Festing receives the President of Albania Bujar Nishani on an official visit". orderofmalta.int. 7 November 2017.

[15] "President Thaçi received the President of Albania, Bujar Nishani". president-ksgov.net.