TIRANA, June 22 – Christina Vasak has taken over as the new French Ambassador to Albania replacing Bernard Fitoussi.
Vasak is a career diplomat who recently served at the French embassy in the Netherlands.
“Albania has been an EU candidate country since 2014 and without deviating from its course, despite its ups and downs, Albania has undertaken a fundamental task to relieve itself from the shackles of the past. For example, we have witnessed the progress made on cooperation and re-establishment of relations with neighboring countries and patiently freeing itself from the harsh heritage of the past still present in the conscience,” says the French Ambassador in her message.
Earlier this year, Bernard Fitoussi, who served as French Ambassador to Albania for the past three years was decorated by Albania President Bujar Nishani with the ‘Special civil merit’ order for his contribution to further advancing traditionally friendly relations and supporting Albania’s EU integration bid.
French-Albania historical and diplomatic relations date back to 1916 when France established a military protectorate in the region of Korà§a, southeastern Albania, during World War I.
In 1917, a French school opened in Korà§a contributing to the training of the Albanian elite in the interwar period.
“Political relations are now mainly fuelled by Albania’s determination to eventually join the European Union, and by our policy to support this process of democratization and stabilization with a view to EU membership. We have consistently supported Albania in its way forward to Europe,” says the French Foreign Ministry.
French has been traditionally regularly taught at schools in Albania while each year the country marks the Francophone Spring of events.
While current trade and investment links are quite small, a Franco-Albanian Chamber of Commerce has been operating since 2013.
