TIRANA, July 18 – Japan has officially opened its Tirana embassy with a special ceremony attended by Japan’s Minister of State for Foreign Relation, Nobuo Kishi, in addition to several Albanian officials.
Minister Kishi praised Albania’s role in the region and said Japan would show a full commitment to economic and political cooperation with Albania.
In meetings with Albanian leaders, Kishi said he valued the cooperation of the two countries in international organizations, good experience in supporting mutual candidacies and for the formulation of joint stances on important global issues.
“The opening of the new embassy is very good news and a further signal of the strengthening and enrichment of relations between the two countries,” Albanian President Bujar Nishani said at a meeting with Kishi.
Milva Ekonomi, Albania’s minister of the economy, was among officials who attended the embassy opening, reminding those attending that last month alone the ministry she leads and the Government of Japan had signed a deal on a project that will help rural areas in Albania get more access to Japanese funding.
“This project benefiting areas where there is no access to financing shows the true friendship and benevolence coming from the Japanese government to support Albania and to extend cooperation between the two countries,” Ekonomi said.
Officials from both countries expressed their readiness to increase cooperation and participated in a ceremony to mark the donation of 129 vehicles to the Albanian authorities by the government of Japan.
Japanese Ambassador Makoto Ito presented his credentials to President Bujar Nishani in June, becoming Japan’s first resident ambassador to Albania since the two countries re-established diplomatic relations in 1981.
Japan’s government appointed Ambassador Ito to the post in April 2017, and he participated at an official credentials ceremony Tuesday at the President’s Office, officially assuming his functions.
While Albania opened its diplomatic mission in Japan in 2004, the Japanese Embassy in Italy had handled matters related to Albania until recently.
Tirana has said it welcomes Japan’s decision to open an embassy in Tirana in an effort to draw greater investment from the world’s third-largest economy.
Japan has been a major donor to Albania through its difficult transition from communism to a free-market economy. Tokyo has given millions, primarily in the rehabilitation of infrastructure and healthcare facilities. Projects have included a municipal waste-water treatment facility for Tirana and its surroundings.
