TIRANA, April 14/ATA/ Albania and Spain signed today a Memorandum of Cooperation to achieve the best possible coordination of work on European integration issues.
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Olta Xhaçka received her Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, whose visit precedes the assumption of the Presidency of the EU by Spain in the second half of the year.
At the joint press conference after the meeting, Xhaçka appreciated that this visit is proof of the special attention that Spain is paying to our country and the region.
“This is the first visit of a Spanish Foreign Minister to Albania after many years, which in itself constitutes an important event in the relations between our countries”, said Xhaçka.
The minister emphasized that, “We share the same opinion that enlargement is not simply and should not be simply an instrument of the EU, but is the very essence of the Union, so every European country should aspire to become part of it”.
Xhaçka said that, “We have jointly agreed to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation between our countries with the aim of achieving the best possible coordination of work on European integration issues”.
More specifically, she said that in this memorandum it is foreseen that Spain will support us by providing consulting services and technical assistance, as well as try to maintain the proper representation of the Republic of Albania in the allocation of pre-accession funds (IPA III), thus stimulating the green and digital transition, regional cooperation and convergence with the EU, even in the framework of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.
In particular, Xhaçka said that, “Albania welcomes the fact that in recent years the Spanish foreign policy has also been oriented towards the Eastern Mediterranean, including the Western Balkans, since the strengthening of cooperation between the EU and our region has become more important than ever as a result of the aggression illegal Russian actions against Ukraine and the danger this aggression represents for all of us.”
The minister informed that the meeting also discussed the issue of Kosovo, which takes on special importance, being a fundamental link for the stability and security of the Balkans.
Xhaçka underlined that it is in the interest of the region, but also of the EU itself, to have the widest and most constructive engagement with Kosovo, including its membership in international organizations, in order to avoid an isolation that would have consequences not only for Kosovo, but also for all of us./p.s./
