Mayor Eric Adams hosted a private reception at Gracie Mansion last Friday, inviting government officials from Albania and members of the local Albanian community. The event, which was not publicly listed on his schedule, appears to be the latest example of a closer relationship between Adams and Albania as he prepares to leave office.
According to City Hall, the event was scheduled by Adams at his own request, but it slipped through the cracks due to last-minute changes. A spokesperson for the mayor confirmed the details after inquiries from Gothamist. Attendees included Megi Fino, Albania's deputy minister of foreign affairs, and Ervin Bushati, the country's ambassador to the US.
This is not an isolated incident; Adams has cultivated strong ties with Albania since his re-election bid ended last month. He recently visited the country for a four-day trip focused on tourism and business opportunities, which were covered by the Albanian government. The mayor also previously held three flag-raising ceremonies in honor of Albania.
The reception was sponsored by the Albanian Americans Relations Council, a nonprofit aiming to promote dialogue between the two countries. Notably, the event lacked transparency, as City Hall did not release a transcript of Adams' remarks or provide further details about the discussion.
Adams has hinted that he may take on foreign advisory roles post-mayoralty. He stated that "countries are calling me and asking me to come and do what I did in New York City." The Trump administration has yet to nominate a US ambassador to Albania, sparking questions about Adams' future plans.
About 100 people attended the event, which featured food, drink, and other amenities. Attendees included Marko Kepi, an Albanian American who posted photos of the reception on Instagram, as well as Arthur Rotshteyn, a Republican with ties to New York State politics.
The reception coincided with Albania's Independence Day, scheduled for November 28. The event seems to be part of a long-standing tradition for the local Albanian community. Adams' past statements about being "jealous" that his son had visited Albania and expressing enthusiasm for exploring the country in the future have raised eyebrows among observers.
This latest development highlights Adams' efforts to maintain strong ties with Albania, even as he prepares to leave office. The extent of these relationships remains unclear, but they are likely to be subject to scrutiny in the coming months.
According to City Hall, the event was scheduled by Adams at his own request, but it slipped through the cracks due to last-minute changes. A spokesperson for the mayor confirmed the details after inquiries from Gothamist. Attendees included Megi Fino, Albania's deputy minister of foreign affairs, and Ervin Bushati, the country's ambassador to the US.
This is not an isolated incident; Adams has cultivated strong ties with Albania since his re-election bid ended last month. He recently visited the country for a four-day trip focused on tourism and business opportunities, which were covered by the Albanian government. The mayor also previously held three flag-raising ceremonies in honor of Albania.
The reception was sponsored by the Albanian Americans Relations Council, a nonprofit aiming to promote dialogue between the two countries. Notably, the event lacked transparency, as City Hall did not release a transcript of Adams' remarks or provide further details about the discussion.
Adams has hinted that he may take on foreign advisory roles post-mayoralty. He stated that "countries are calling me and asking me to come and do what I did in New York City." The Trump administration has yet to nominate a US ambassador to Albania, sparking questions about Adams' future plans.
About 100 people attended the event, which featured food, drink, and other amenities. Attendees included Marko Kepi, an Albanian American who posted photos of the reception on Instagram, as well as Arthur Rotshteyn, a Republican with ties to New York State politics.
The reception coincided with Albania's Independence Day, scheduled for November 28. The event seems to be part of a long-standing tradition for the local Albanian community. Adams' past statements about being "jealous" that his son had visited Albania and expressing enthusiasm for exploring the country in the future have raised eyebrows among observers.
This latest development highlights Adams' efforts to maintain strong ties with Albania, even as he prepares to leave office. The extent of these relationships remains unclear, but they are likely to be subject to scrutiny in the coming months.
... like, Mayor Eric Adams is clearly trying to make a move post-mayoralty and it's hard not to wonder what's in store for Albania. I mean, he's been courting them left and right since his re-election bid ended – four-day trip, flag-raising ceremonies, the whole nine yards 
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. Was there some major deal-making that went down? Did he just schmooze with Albania's ambassador and deputy minister? The omission feels like a deliberate attempt to keep things under wraps 
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. But let's not forget, he's not exactly known for being open about his plans 
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. Only time will tell what Adams' future holds in Albania 
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100 ppl showed up for a private reception at Gracie Mansion? that's some serious VIP treatment 
and it's not even on his public schedule 
what's going on?! he's basically saying he's still got ties to the country even tho he's leaving office 
. I mean, it's not like Mayor Adams is hiding anything from us or anything... right? 
But seriously, 100 people show up to this invite-only party and City Hall doesn't even bother to release the details? It's just kinda shady. And what's with all these flag-raising ceremonies 
but honestly, what's the point of all these behind-the-scenes deals when we're still waitin for him to drop some real concrete plans on how he's gonna make NYC a better place? 
like whats he hiding or somethin? 
sounds like a pretty sweet deal for a guy who aint got nowhere else 
. But on the other hand, I'm not sure why this event was so private and didn't get any official word from City Hall 
. Mayor Adams hosting a private reception at Gracie Mansion without publicizing it first is just another example of the lack of transparency we're seeing in our city leaders.
. Let's keep pushing for more openness and accountability from our leaders 
. How can he be trusted to represent New York City's interests when he's getting cozy with Albania behind our backs? 
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. The lack of details and transcript is suspicious 
. And what's up with the event coinciding with Albania's Independence Day? It almost feels like a calculated move to strengthen ties before leaving office 
. Marko Kepi on Instagram posted some pics, but I doubt that's all there was to it 
. Maybe he's just trying to make a good impression before he leaves office? I don't know, it all seems a bit suspicious to me 
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. Anyway, that's just my two cents 
. On the other hand, if he's going to take on foreign advisory roles post-mayoralty, that would be awesome 
! Countries do need experts like him to help bridge cultural gaps and promote dialogue