Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams receives honorary Albanian citizenship at his request
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Friday he has received honorary Albanian citizenship, an honor conferred by President Bajram Begaj at Adams’ request, according to an official decree. The news was first reported in the Albanian press.
“Honored to accept honorary Albanian citizenship, not just as a personal distinction, but as a reflection of the deep and lasting bond between New York City and the Albanian people,” Adams wrote on social media.
He praised New York’s Albanian community as “hardworking, proud, and deeply rooted,” adding that “New York is the global capital, and this only strengthens the bridge between our communities.” Adams, who once called himself an “international mayor,” has long expressed an affinity for the Balkan nation.
His adult son lived in Albania while competing in the country’s version of “American Idol.” Adams traveled there in October—one of several international trips taken in his final months in office—saying the purpose was “to say hello to a friend and learn from a friend and build a relationship with a friendship that will not allow our oceans or seas to divide us.” It was not immediately clear what, if anything, Adams planned to do with the new honor.
He has previously talked about retiring abroad, saying in 2018 that he would in Baku, and later telling a Jewish publication he would like to retire in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. His international travel also drew scrutiny during his mayoralty. Trips to Turkey prompted a federal indictment focused in part on allegations that he accepted improper travel benefits from foreign nationals.
Adams denied the allegations, and the case was later ordered dropped by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. He later met with Trump administration officials about the possibility of taking an ambassadorship, which did not materialize. Shortly after dropping his ailing bid for reelection, Adams embarked on a four-day trip to Albania, meeting Prime Minister Edi Rama, members of his Cabinet and local business leaders.
The trip was paid for in part by the Albanian government. Since leaving office, Adams has been seen in Dubai and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and he told reporters he planned to travel to Senegal for a business opportunity he declined to detail. In January, he launched a cryptocurrency coin that he said would counter antisemitism and “anti-Americanism,” which drew scrutiny after it lost millions of dollars in value.
For now, Adams is casting the honorary citizenship as a symbolic link between New York City and Albania, while leaving his next steps unspecified.