TIRANA, Feb.18 – A high-level delegation from Malta, led by the country’s President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca visited Albania this week to discuss ways of increasing bilateral cooperation with the country’s highest officials.
President Bujar Nishani held a meeting with his Maltese counterpart, which focused on Albania’s EU integration process and the further strengthening of economic ties between the two countries.
In a separate meeting, the foreign ministers of Albania and Malta signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at providing assistance to Albania’s EU accession process.
Malta’s support for Albania’s EU aspirations was reiterated during a joint press conference the two presidents had after their meeting. “I am certain that Malta’s support will not only continue, but Malta will be further extending all its European integration experience to Albania, to assist in the integration process. We are ready to offer technical assistance,” said Maltese President Coleiro Preca.
President Nishani evaluated bilateral relations and considered the signing of the memorandum as further proof of the commitment to increase cooperation between Albania and Malta. “A clear sign of the willingness from both sides is the signing of the memorandum today by our foreign ministers. Alongside political willingness, the legal framework enables both governments to explore human and natural resources to boost economic growth,” said President Nishani.
Nishani added that Maltese businesses are welcome in Albania and that as Mediterranean countries both share many common interests and challenges.
The two presidents would later on address the business and economic forum between Albania and Malta, a platform which aims to promote trade cooperation between the two countries. The forum was attended by Maltese business representatives in the field of tourism, energy as well as infrastructure and their Albanian counterparts in which they exchanged experiences and shared common interests. Albanian business representatives presented their colleagues with Albania’s potential for foreign investments, while the forum also discussed the idea for the creation of an economic council between Albania and Malta as a structure that will serve as the main pillar of economic cooperation in the future.
