The General Directorate of Archives remembers May 12, 1990, when the Secretary General of the United Nations, Perez de Cuellar, made an official visit to Tirana.

This visit, part of a tour in Eastern Europe, would mark the turning point for the democratization of Albania, which years ago had become a media object after the introduction of the Popa family into the Italian embassy.

De Cuellar was received at Tirana airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Reis Malile and a number of foreign ambassadors stationed in Albania.

One of the first steps that Albania took after his visit was the participation in the Conference on Cooperation and Security in Europe, as well as allowing Albanian citizens to be equipped with a passport for the first time.

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