Alfred Moisiu

Alfred Moisiu
Moisiu in 2009
President of Albania
In office 24 July 2002 – 24 July 2007
Prime Minister	Pandeli Majko Fatos Nano Sali Berisha
Preceded by	Rexhep Meidani
Succeeded by	Bamir Topi
Minister of Defense
In office 18 December 1991 – 13 April 1992
Preceded by	Ndriçim Karakaçi
Succeeded by	Safet Zhulali
Personal details
Born	(1929-12-01)1 December 1929 Shkodër,Albania
Spouse	Milica Niça ​ (before 2002)​
Children	4
Profession	Military
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Branch/service	Albanian People's Army
Years of service	1949–1985
Rank	General

Alfred Spiro Moisiu(Albanian:[alˈfɾɛdspi'ɾɔˈmɔisiu];born 1 December 1929)is a formerAlbanianmilitary general, diplomat and politician. He was thepresident of Albaniafrom 2002 to 2007. He is the oldest son ofAlbanian ArmygeneralSpiro Moisiu.

Early life, education and career

Moisiu was born into the family of GeneralSpiro Moisiu.In 1946 he was sent to theSoviet Unionas a student. In 1948 he graduated from the military engineering school inSaint Petersburg(then Leningrad). He served inTiranaas a platoon-commander at the United Officers' School (1948–1949) and as a teacher at theSkanderbeg Military Academy(1949–1951). From 1952 to 1958 he attended the Academy of Military Engineering inMoscow.

Back in Albania, Moisiu continued his military career in the engineers' department of the Ministry of Defense. From 1967 to 1968 he attended the higher courses of general staff at the Defense Academy of Tirana. At the same time he commanded apontoonbrigade inKavajë(1966–1971). In 1971 he became the chief of the Bureau of Engineering and Fortifications of the Ministry of Defense (underEnver Hoxha,when thousands of concrete casements were built as defense against states held to be hostile).

Alfred Moisiu as a military student in 1947

In 1979, Moisiu received aPhDin military science. From 1981 he was Deputy Minister of Defense. Under the ministersBeqir Balluku,Mehmet Shehuand Kadri Hasbiu he held this post until October 1982 (Shehu died violently in December 1981). He was appointed byEnver Hoxhato fill Albania with bunkers. Hoxha sent Moisiu toBurrel,where he served as the commander of an engineers' company from 1982 to 1984. Moisiu left active service as a general.

Post-communist politics

He returned to public life in December 1991 when he was appointed Minister of Defense inVilson Ahmeti's technocratic government. He held that post until April 1992 when the first Government of theDemocratic Party,led byAleksander Meksi,was formed. The new executive invited Moisiu to work as a counselor to the Minister of Defense. In 1994, Safet Zhulali appointed him the deputy minister charged with elaborating the defence politics of Albania. Moisiu's advice was to concentrate efforts on the reconstruction of the armed forces, which were in bad condition, and to start preparations for joining theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organisation(NATO). In 1994 he founded the Albanian North Atlantic Association and was elected as its president. On January 24, 1995, he signed an individual association treaty binding Albania with NATO'sPartnership for Peaceproject. From 1995, Moisiu attended to the VIPs' courses of the NATO College inRome.

When theAlbanian Socialist Partycame to power in 1997, Moisiu lost his post in the Ministry. In the following years, he took an active part in extra-governmental activity, organizing international and all-Albanian conferences where issues of security and defense in South East Europe, armament control and collecting arms from civil persons were discussed.

Re-emergence in politics

In 2002, under pressure from international organizations, Moisiu was chosen bySali BerishaandFatos Nanoas a consensus candidate for the presidency after the end ofRexhep Meidani's term. Moisiu was elected by thePeople's Assemblyby a vote of 97 to 19 (with 14 abstentions) and he was sworn in for a five-year term as president on July 24, 2002. After the constitutional reform of November 1998, politics is mainly the task of the government. Moisiu promised to contribute to the strengthening of parliamentary democracy, the stabilization of the judiciary system and the integration of Albania into Euro-Atlantic structures. The day after the beginning of Moisiu's presidency, Socialist Prime MinisterPandeli Majkoresigned, and the president appointed Fatos Nano, the leader of the Socialist Party, the newPrime Minister of Albania.

Honours

Albania

• "Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu" Decoration
• Order of the Red Star

Foreign

Moisiu has been awarded with the following awards and appointments:

• Knight Grand Cross of the CroatianGrand Order of King Tomislav(July 2, 2007), "For outstanding contribution to the promotion of friendship and development co-operation between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Albania."
• Grand Cross of theOrder of Vytautas the Great(27 March 2007)
• Honorary Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of St Michael and St George
• Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"(2005)
• Honorary Citizen of Bari (Italy)
• Grand Order of King Tomislav(Croatia)

See also

• President of Albania
• Presidents of Albania
• 2002 presidential election

External links

• Photo