The U.S. Department of State has officially responded to reports and reactions circulating on Thursday regarding former Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s status as a person barred from entering the United States.
In response to media inquiries, the State Department clarified that the restriction has not been lifted. Instead, a temporary waiver has been granted.
“The Department of State has issued waivers for certain designations under Section 7031(c) made by the previous administration, as granting these waivers serves a compelling national interest of the United States,” the Department stated.
According to the clarification, the sanction widely known as the “non grata” designation remains in place. However, for specific purposes, a temporary exemption has been granted to Sali Berisha, allowing him to enter the United States under limited circumstances.
In diplomatic and legal terms, a waiver means that the U.S. Department of State has exercised its legal authority to make an exception to existing restrictions.
This means that Berisha may be permitted to undertake a specific action, such as traveling for a particular purpose, without losing his sanctioned “non grata” status.
Conservative activist Evi Kokalari also suggested earlier on Thursday that Berisha had received a temporary waiver from the State Department. According to her comments, the waiver may have been related to a request for a medical visa, although the specific purpose has not been publicly confirmed.
Under these circumstances, as emphasized by the U.S. Department of State, the official 2021 designation under Section 7031(c) has neither been revoked nor canceled. The waiver simply provides a specific exception to the consequences of that decision while leaving the original designation in effect.
