Ilir Meta

Ilir Meta was born on 24 March 1969 in Çorovodë, Skrapar. He graduated at the Faculty of Economy and Politics branch of the University of Tirana, where he also pursued his post-graduate studies. He is fluent in Albanian, English, and Italian.

Meta is a Bektashi, and declares his adherence to traditional Bektashian values.[5] Meta has been married to Monika Kryemadhi since October 1998.[6] They have two daughters and a son, Bora, Era & Besar.

Meta has been engaged in politics since 1990 after the fall of communism in Albania as an active participant in the students' movement against communism, which brought political pluralism in Albania. Since 1992 he has been elected Member of Parliament in all legislatures and has been an active member of several Parliamentary Commissions. From 1996 to 1997 he was Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of Parliament. From October 1998 to October 1999, Ilir Meta was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Coordination, as well as State Secretary for European Integration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March–October 1998.

In 2004, Meta left the Socialist Party of Albania (PS) and founded his own party, the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI). From 2004 to 2006, Meta was nominated as a member of the International Commission on the Balkans, chaired by the former Prime Minister of Italy, Giuliano Amato. The Commission drafted a series of important recommendations towards the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the European Union.[7]

In 2010, a video of Ilir Meta discussing corruptive affairs worth 800,000 euros with late politician Dritan Prifti emerged in the Albanian media after the latter had purposely tapped their conversation. This forced him to resign as deputy Prime Minister of Albania, even though he claimed innocence.[8]

OSCE Secretary General gives a tour to Ilir Meta.

Ilir Mate's visit to the IDF Home Front Command, January 2020

On 28 April 2017, Meta was elected President of the Republic of Albania at the fourth ballot with 87 votes out of 140. He took office on 24 July 2017. In the ceremony, he was accompanied solely by his children, as his wife Monika Kryemadhi refused the First Lady position because of her political engagement as leader of the party her husband founded, while their daughter, Era Meta being as the First Lady of Albania.

As his predecessor, during his term of office, the main focus is the European integration process of the country and global challenges affecting Albania. He underlined the willingness of Albanians to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership with all partner countries in the area of security and NATO.[14]

In March 2012, Meta received "Most Positive Personality for 2010 in Foreign Policy" award by International Institute "IFIMES" in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The award was presented to Meta by former President of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic, which was at the same time the Honorary President of IFIMES.

Meta was praised as the most positive political personality for 2010, when he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister for his positive and concrete contribution in exercising the foreign policy of Albania and for his personal and institutional influence in strengthening good regional and neighborly relations amongst the countries of the Balkans. The institute praised Meta's vision at the head of Albanian diplomacy as a political personality with a regional weight and with a clear purpose to create a more open, positive and integrated region.

• Official Website of the LSI Party

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