The governments of Albania and Kosovo will hold the successive joint meeting on April 24 in the city of Vlora, south Albania. The Albanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ditmir Bushati announced the news during the joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, Enver Hoxhaj, on an official visit to Tirana on Wednesday.

Minister Bushati said that together with his Kosovo counterpart they discussed the political, economic and trade cooperation, as well as educational and cultural cooperation, by pointing out the efficient coordination between the two countries on the main challenges faced by Kosovo, Albania as well as the region.

“We discussed the steps undertaken by Kosovo to fulfill several crucial commitments to EU integration. Albania supports Kosovo legitimate aspirations, as visa liberation process and the gradual transformation of Kosovo’s Security Force into an army. In this context we appreciate the cooperation of Kosovo to some of our strategic partners as the US,” said Bushati.

The two diplomats discussed the preparations of their respective governments on the eve of Trieste Summit, where four Western Balkan countries will meet, along with EU countries part of the Berlin Process. Bushati underlined the efforts to synchronize standings on projects that are being approved, but also on existing ones.

Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj started his statement by congratulating the establishment of the Western Balkans Fund headquarters in Tirana which was considered a major achievement of the Albanian diplomacy. He said that the Western Balkans Fund settles a new framework of cooperation in the region and its establishment in Tirana should be evaluated.

In addition Hoxhaj underlined that the focus of the meeting with Bushati was on the organization of the upcoming joint meeting between the two governments.

“Great progress has been made since the strategic partnership between the two countries was signed in January 2014. Bilateral trade volume is somewhere around 200 million euro and economic cooperation as well as cooperation in other areas is very good. There is a long list of cooperation agreements signed between the two countries including the foreign policy, security, education, tourism, culture, etc.,” said Minister Hoxhaj.

Moreover, President Bujar Nishani received Hoxhaj in a separate meeting, underlining that the fraternal and very special relations between Albania and Kosovo need to be strengthened and expanded in all areas of cooperation, because they are crucial for the future of Albanian nation as well as stability and progress of the region.

President Nishani proposed that the next joint government meeting should discuss and take concrete steps in assisting the Albanians in Medvegja, Bujanoc and Presheva in social, economic, cultural and educational aspect following the best European practices in this regard.

The meeting also focused on situation in the region and the stand of Albania and Kosovo in favor of resolving the political crisis in Macedonia. “Stability of Macedonia, adherence to the Ohrid agreement as well as the path towards Euro-Atlantic integration are in the interest of Albanians living in Macedonia but also of the region and further,” said Nishani.

In addition, Speaker of Parliament Ilir Meta received the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kosovo Enver Hoxhaj and talked on bilateral cooperation and the recent developments in the region. Speaker Meta positively assessed the close cooperation between the parliaments of Albania and Kosovo and emphasized that the Parliament supports the joint work of the two respective governments for improvement of the strategic partnership between the two countries.