TIRANA, Nov. 19 – British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond told Albanian leaders during a visit to Tirana Wednesday that Albania is seen as an important NATO partner and appreciated for the stabilizing role it plays in the Balkans, “a difficult region where there are many historical tensions to be managed.”
“We have an excellent bilateral cooperation, especially in the internal affairs in this portfolio, fighting crime together, struggling together with illegal migration, smuggling of drugs as well as human trafficking,” Hammond said, according to an official transcript of his meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Hammond also spoke at a joint press conference with his Albanian counterpart, setting a tone for his visit – much of which focused on international security, rule of law and EU integration.
Hammond praised “the determination of the government to bring forward important reforms,” among which he singled the justice reform. He said it was “absolutely essential to create the environment of the rule of law, which will be the basis of investments in the Albanian economy.”
On international security, Hammond said the attacks on Paris proved once again the need for cooperation at European level to crack down on and prevent ISIS plans.
He added Albania and the UK “have excellent cooperation in security, defense and military cooperation. Albania is a very good partner in NATO and in the past years we began to work together, organizing joint military exercises.”
The UK fully supports Albania’s European integration process Hammond added.
“The UK have been supporting major expansion of the European Union and I support strongly the need of the Balkans to move toward Europe and shared values and aspirations of the European Union,” Hammond said.
Prime Minister Rama said Albania and the UK are finding increasing cooperation “against the barbarism of extremism and its emergence as a threat to our civilization … the large family of democratic world, with which Albania not only feel connected spiritually and morally, but also connected to the aspiration to become an integral part it.”
Rama said he was happy to have the opportunity to share the conviction that today more than ever, Europe needs the Balkans just as the Balkans needs Europe.
