Azerbaijani minister in Albania to boost economic cooperation

TIRANA, Nov 8 – Albania’s geographical position is very important to Azerbaijan and both countries need to establish a legal framework supporting economic cooperation, Azerbaijan’s Minister for Economic Development Shahin Mustafayev told Prime Minister Sali Berisha during a visit to Albania this week.
“The best way to intensify relations between our countries is to build economic relations,” said Prime Minister Sali Berisha stressing the need to for a legal framework to strengthen cooperation.
Prime Minister Berisha described the Trans Adriatic Pipeline(TAP) project bringing Azerbaijan gas to Europe and also passing through Albania as very important to the country. “The Albanian government remains committed to fulfill every obligation on the implementation of this project,” Berisha assured Shahin Mustafayev
In a meeting with his Albanian counterpart Edmond Haxhinasto, Mustafayev said Azerbaijan sees Albania as a country which offers plenty of opportunities to invest in energy, infrastructure, agriculture and trade. Minister Haxhinasto invited Azerbaijani companies to invest in gas and hydropower plants.
The Azerbaijani delegation held a presentation of the economic and investment potential of Azerbaijan, while the Albanian side made a presentation on the investment opportunities in Albania.
The Albanian economy is still resisting well to the world financial crisis, though it has had negative effects. The World Bank has said that recovery in 2013 will be very slow.