TIRANA, Oct. 7, 2022 – Switzerland officially has a new top diplomat to Albania as Ambassador Ruth Huber delivered her diplomatic credentials to Albanian President Bajram Begaj on Thursday.
A seasoned diplomat who is very familiar with the region, Ambassador Huber was previously serving as deputy director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which has several ongoing projects in Albania and the region.
Accepting the credentials, President Begaj wished Ambassador Huber success in carrying out her diplomatic mission in Albania and expressed the belief that thanks to her experience she will offer great help in all areas of mutual interest.
The president expressed confidence that the Swiss Cooperation Program for Albania will continue for the 2022 -2025 period, increasing institutional capacities and helping consolidate them further at the local and central government levels.
Ambassador Huber said Switzerland continues to be a dedicated partner of Albania and added the partnership is strong at both bilateral and multilateral levels, including at the United Nations Security Council, where Albania is currently serving as a non-permanent member.
Switzerland will take up its non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the first time in its history on Jan. 1, 2023.
Switzerland and Albania established diplomatic relations in 1970, with Switzerland opening an embassy in Tirana in 1992. Since then, relations and exchanges have steadily increased.
Albania is a priority country for Swiss development cooperation. Switzerland also supports Albania through its commitment to the development and stabilization of the Western Balkans.
As a non-EU member state, Switzerland consistently has punched above its weight in development funds for Albania, local development officials have noted.
In general, diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Albania focus on development cooperation, strengthening economic cooperation, and collaboration on migration and consular matters.
