In the tiny town of Fushë Kruje’s main square surrounded by a few cafes, stores, and a local bank, stands a nearly 10-foot tall statue of George W. Bush. His sleeves are rolled-up and he gives a casual wave to onlookers. 

Bush was the first president of the United States to set foot in post-communist Albania and certainly the first to grace this tiny town with his political presence.

Albanians were pro-American long before Bush came to visit in 2007. During the late 1990s, Serbia began an ethnic cleansing of all Albanians in Kosovo, which had been made an autonomous part of Serbia in 1946.

NATO sanctioned the bombing of Serbia for 11 weeks in 1999 in retaliation. The move was successful in getting Serbian dictator Slodoban Milošević to cease his persecution of Albanians. The U.S. was also responsible for ending the country’s Cold War isolation. In 2003, Albania sent 70 troops to join the U.S. invasion of Iraq to show their support. 

So it’s no wonder this statue graces the newly named George W. Bush square in Fushë Kruje.