Omni Bridgeway filed a motion for entry of default judgment against the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy of the Republic of Albania, the National Agency of Natural Resources of the Republic of Albania, and Albpetrol SH.A. in a case seeking to confirm a $12M arbitration award won by GBC Oil Company in July 2020.
Although Omni Bridgeway served each respondent by sending two copies of a service request form, petition, summons, and supporting papers by FedEx to Albania’s central authority, the Albanian Ministry of Justice, the Ministry failed to provide the required certificate of service other than confirming that it had "forwarded the service packets to the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction in Tirana, Albania, for service on respondents" in November 2023. The Ministry then ceased all communications with petitioners.
This is not the first time when Albania and its instrumentalities refused to participate in enforcement proceedings in U.S. courts. In 2010, the District Court for the District of Columbia granted in part G.E. Transportation S.p.A.'s motion for default judgment and to confirm an arbitration award against the Republic of Albania, Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Telecommunications. See G.E. Transp. S.P.A. v. Republic of Albania, 693 F. Supp. 2d 132, 141 (D.D.C. 2010). In 2012, again, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Energy of Albania, and National Agency of Natural Resources of Albania refused to appear in an action to compel arbitration and preserve status quo during such arbitration filed in the Western District of Texas. See Sky Petroleum, Inc. v. Ministry of Econ., No. A-12-CA-023-SS, 2012 WL 12874201, at *1 (W.D. Tex. Jan. 20, 2012).