TIRANA, June 14 /ATA/ Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Andis Salla and Minister of Internal Affairs Besfort Lamallari visited the Qafë Thanë Border Inspection Point, together with representatives of the State Police, Customs and the National Food Authority, where they discussed tightening controls and improving institutional coordination in one of the most important nodes of the movement of goods and food products in Southeastern Albania.
During the inspection, Minister Salla announced that within the framework of new investments supported by the World Bank, Qafë Thana will be equipped with modern storage infrastructure and facilities dedicated to the control and monitoring of exports and imports.
He stressed that the investment will serve not only the Food Authority, but also the Customs, creating the necessary capacities for the storage and control of products that pass through the border point.
The minister also announced that seven new laboratories will be built throughout the country, replacing existing laboratories and building capacities for import and export analysis.
For his part, Interior Minister Lamallari stressed the importance of inter-institutional cooperation to guarantee food safety and facilitate the movement of goods and citizens.
“We are pursuing, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the fastest possible conclusion of the agreement with the North Macedonia side, to benefit from the facilitation of procedures and the faster passage of passengers and goods, without compromising security. Qafë Thana is the largest border point between our two countries and requires full coordination between all institutions,” Lamallari said.
He underlined that the State Police, Customs and the National Food Authority must act as a single mechanism to prevent smuggling, tax evasion and the entry of unsafe products into the market. /e.i/a.f/p.s./
