Eric Adams said he has become an honorary citizen of Albania, a move Albanian officials announced Friday and that his own representatives confirmed. The news followed an official decree from President Bajram Begaj, which said the honorary citizenship was granted “at his request,” according to the Associated Press.
Adams’ spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, confirmed the development and linked it to Adams’ relationship with the Albanian-American community. In a text message, Shapiro said the “decision by the Republic of Albania to grant Mayor Adams citizenship reflects that enduring relationship and mutual respect,” and he said the recognition “further strengthens the bond between New York and Albania.”
The Albanian honorary citizenship adds another chapter to Adams’ long-running outward-looking political identity. During his time in New York City, Adams sometimes described himself as an “international mayor,” and the AP reported that he has expressed affinity for Albania before. His adult son lived in Albania while competing in the country’s version of “American Idol,” and Adams traveled there himself in October, during his final months in office.
At the time of that October trip, Adams said its 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.” The AP reported that it was not immediately clear what, if anything, Adams planned to do with the honorary citizenship, but it noted Adams has previously expressed a desire to live far from his New York City home.
In 2018, Adams—then Brooklyn Borough President—said he expected to “retire from government” by living in Baku. A few years later, in an interview with a Jewish publication, he said he would like to retire in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
As mayor, Adams’ foreign travel also became part of a legal story that followed him after he took office. The AP reported that federal prosecutors focused in part on allegations that he accepted improper travel benefits from foreign nationals, and that Adams denied the allegations. The case was later ordered dropped by the Justice Department under President Donald Trump, and Adams later met with Trump administration officials about an ambassadorship that did not materialize.
After he dropped his ailing bid for reelection, Adams traveled to Albania for a four-day trip, meeting with Prime Minister Edi Rama, members of his Cabinet and local business leaders, with the trip paid for in part by the Albanian government, according to the AP. The AP also reported that since leaving office, Adams has been spotted in Dubai and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and that he told reporters he planned to fly to Senegal for a business opportunity, which he declined to discuss further.
The AP said Adams also launched a cryptocurrency coin in January that he described as intended to “beat back antisemitism” and “anti-Americanism,” and that it drew scrutiny after losing millions of dollars in value.