TIRANA, Oct. 15 – The Czech republic has pledged to keep up its support for Albania’s EU bid during a visit Prime Minister Edi Rama made Tuesday to Prague where he met with his host counterpart Bohuslav Sobotka, talking on bilateral issues as well as Tirana’s integration efforts into the European Union.
The two countries also signed five agreements on cooperation in tourism, social assistance, education, management of natural calamities and environment protection.
Sobotka pledged to Rama to further support Tirana in its efforts of getting ready for the launch of the full membership talks with the European Union.
“The Czech Republic is ready to offer its experience during the negotiations to enter the EU, to give its experience on the preparation of the national legislation and also help in building up institutions in the area of environment, agriculture and agro-industry,” said Sobotka.
Rama also tried to further promote Czech tourism to Albania.
He said that some 14,000 Czechs had visited Albania this year for tourism purposes, and he called on them to spread to word about the the natural beauties and historical wealth.
Albania and the Czech Republic have had a complicated recent past following the botched privatization and nationalization of the Albanian power distributor by the Czech state-owned company, CEZ.
