TIRANA, March 26 – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday his country would be strongly supporter Albania’s membership bid at next month’s NATO summit in Bucharest.
“At the Bucharest summit we will support membership for Albania together with Croatia and Macedonia,” Erdogan said at a briefing after meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
Erdogan also met with President Bamir Topi, Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli and the main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama.
Erdogan is on a visit to Albania to promote bilateral commercial exchanges and urge more Turkish investment in Albania, one of Europe’s poorest countries.
Turkey has invested some $620 million in Albania through private companies involved in steel manufacturing, banking, telecommunications, construction, health and education.
Turkish companies operate in the Elbasan steel plant, the National Commercial Bank, fixed-line telephone company Albtelecom and cellular operator Eagle Mobile, and in other health clinics, an educational college and other businesses.
The Turkish premier pledged to urge extending into Albania a gas pipeline from Turkey to Greece and extend it further to Italy. Such a move would be part of the energy project started by the Swiss-based EGL group.
Erdogan said tourism and transport could be the next areas of interest for Turkish businessmen.
A considerable number of Albanians have found Turkey as a destination for vacations. To assist in the movement of citizens, Albanians may now receive a Turkish visa at the airport.
Turkish-Albanian annual commercial exchanges are at $318 million. Turkey is a main source of goods sold in the country.
Turkey is also one of Albania’s main economic partners and a supports Albania’s efforts to establish closer ties with NATO.
