The United States has officially designated Ramiz Merko, the mayor of the municipality of Struga in North Macedonia, as generally ineligible for entry into the country due to his involvement in “significant corruption.”
As per the State Department’s announcement, the decision to take action against Merko stems from his involvement in financial misappropriation and interference with judicial and other public processes during his time as the mayor of Struga.
In an official statement, Blinken’s Spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that “This designation reaffirms the commitment of the United States to combat corruption, which harms the public interest, hampers countries’ economic prosperity, and curtails the ability of governments to respond effectively to the needs of their people.”
