Abdullah bin Zayed, Albania PM witness signing of coop agreement

This came as the UAE top diplomat met with the Albanian Premier here where he conveyed the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his wishes of continuing progress and prosperity for the Republic of Albania. He also commended the developmental achievements that have been made in Albania over the recent period, stressing the privileged relations between the two nations.

For his part, Edi Rama conveyed his greetings to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and his wishes for the UAE to continue prosperity and progress.

During the meeting, which was held as part of Sheikh Abdullah's current working visit to Albania, the two sides deliberated the friendship and cooperation ties between the two countries in all fields, especially in areas of development, economy and trade.

They also reviewed the situation in the Balkans, and exchanged views over the latest regional and global developments.

During the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah affirmed that the UAE, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, has a firm commitment toward promoting constructive collaboration between all countries of the world in a way that leads to stability, development and prosperity for all peoples.

He underscored his keenness to strengthening relations with the Republic of Albania to achieve the mutual interests of the two countries and their peoples.

Rama, for his part, expressed his aspiration to strengthen cooperation and partnership between the two countries at various levels, praising the pioneering position enjoyed by the UAE on the regional and international scene.

Followingthe meeting, Sheikh Abdullah and Edi Rama witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the two countries in the field of cybersecurity.

The agreement was signed by Sulaiman Al Mazrouei, the UAE s non-resident ambassador to Albania, and Professor Igli Tafa, General Director of the National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security in Albania.

In the meantime, Sheikh Abdullah and Edi Rama held a joint press conference, during which the UAE minister expressed his delight being in Tirana. “I'm delighted and honoured to be back to Tirana. My last visit to Tirana was around 9 years ago, when I had the privilege of accompanying His Highness President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. I can never forget the generosity of the Albanians toward Kosovans.”

Addressing the Albanian PM, Sheikh Abdullah added, "Albania has been able to overcome many challenges over the past period, which expresses your and your team's dedication and the dedication of Albanian people. It was not easy to flip the page, but you have been able to do it and show how tragedies can be overcome. There are a very few countries that have succeeded in doing this, so congratulations to you.”

Sheikh Abdullah expressed his happiness at the ongoing growth of relations with Albania and his aspiration to strengthen them further and faster, pointing out that there are more aspects of cooperation that can be promoted across several sectors, such as energy, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture and many others.

"We are proud of the presence of about 12,000 Albanians in the UAE who are doing a great job, and we hope that they will continue to feel at home throughout their stay," he added.

"We look forward to working with our friends in the Balkan countries to appreciate peace and development efforts, as well as respect for the past and history," he said. "We view the recent agreement regarding the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo as very encouraging, and we support it, as well as work with you and other friends in the Balkans to ensure that the process of normalisation in Kosovo and Serbia will work and will give the people of both countries more hope for the future."

At the end of the news conference, Sheikh Abdullah expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the warm reception and hospitality, saying, "I am honoured to be in Albania, and I look forward to working closely with you to achieve the aspirations of the two countries."

For his part, the Albanian prime minister said, "The UAE is a brotherly country that has provided us with support and assistance when we were in dire need of it."

He added, "The recent years have witnessed a very positive development in relations between the two countries, and I am very grateful to my dear friend, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, for his visit, as he is here not only to prove the UAE's full desire and will to embark on a long journey towards a better future, but also to do his best to support the normalisation process between Serbia and Kosovo, and to make sure that all countries can work together more towards the future."

He also expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to His Highness President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Emirati people for their permanent support of Albania.

The meeting was attended by Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Cultural Affairs, Saeed Mubarak Al Hajri, Assistant Minister for Economic and Commercial Affairs, and Sulaiman Al Mazrouei, the UAE's non-resident ambassador to Albania.