Kingdom, Albania boost bilateral ties

RIYADH, Dec 2 – A news agency from Saudi Arabia published a long article on how the kingdom and Albania were trying to create a new set of bilateral ties.
The Arab News interviewed Albanian Ambassador in Saudi Arabia, Admirim Banaj.
It wrote that the Kingdom and Albania have set out a new vision of bilateral relations with a focus on how to boost political, commercial and cultural links, according to Banaj.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cultural cooperation is to be signed when Albanian Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha visits Riyadh soon, said Banaj.
Banaj also said that the two countries’ economic plan remained focused “mainly in the fields of Saudi investments in Albania Šthere are efforts to expand relations in other sectors of bilateral interest like petrochemicals, banking, oil, food, tourism, human resources, minerals and water resources.”
Possible fields of cooperation include the two states’ common cultural heritage, handcrafts, arts, sports and education. He added that the negative atmosphere of the Balkan wars and 9/11 had contributed to the loss of momentum between the two countries in the field of investments.
“We are trying hard and succeeding to accelerate the process again and bring Saudi investors again to Albania who already came to Tirana in early 1990,” he said.
Banaj said several investors and organizations such as Dallah Al-Baraka Holding Co., Saudi Cables, the Al-Zamil Group, ACOLID, Saudi Brothers, the Al-Khereiji Group, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Al-Kharafi Group and other leading companies from the Gulf have a keen interest in Albania.
A delegation of officials from the Saudi Fund for Development visited Albania recently and discussed a range of projects in the fields of health, education, infrastructure and energy.
“The two countries have an ongoing fruitful, continuous and meaningful cooperation within the framework of the UN, the OIC and other international institutions,” he said.