Macedonia and Albania to step up cooperation

TIRANA, Jan. 12 – Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Miloshoski last week Friday visited Albania to meet with all top officials and to discuss on how to step up cooperation in the areas of economy, tourism, and energy with the neighboring country. Miloshoski met with his Albanian counterpart Besnik Mustafaj, also Prime Minister Sali Berisha and President Alfred Moisiu who stressed there is no unresolved issue between the two countries.
Special attention was paid to the possible assistance Skopje could give to relax Albania’s electricity crisis. “Macedonia vowed to build a 400kW power line that will be of great importance to Albania in terms of electricity imports”, Mustafaj said. Miloshoski said that Macedonia would help Albania to overcome the energy crisis. But he also said that did not include increasing the allowed quantity of water release on the Albanian side of the Ohrid Lake which supplies water to the Drini river where Albania’s main power production is concentrated. A new border crossing point in Trebisht will be soon open between the two countries.
Talks about Kosova was another issue of discussion. Both countries support a fast solution of the Kosova status.
Miloshoski’s visit also served to prepare a visit of his Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to Tirana. Both countries are trying to get integrated as full members into the European Union, where Macedonia is a step ahead, and NATO. They are also part of the AMBO project of the oil pipeline Burgas in Bulgaria, through Macedonia and into Vlore in Albania.