The meeting, held alongside a business forum in the Albanian capital, aimed to boost bilateral cooperation and strengthen institutional dialogue between the two countries. The Egyptian delegation was led by Rania A. Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation.

Speaking at the session, Ibrahimaj said Albania and Egypt share a long-standing friendship, adding that the forum marked an important step toward translating that relationship into concrete cooperation with tangible benefits for both economies and citizens.

She said priorities include attracting foreign direct investment, expanding trade exchanges and broadening cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including trade and investment, tourism and cultural heritage, energy and water, agriculture, higher education and scientific research, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, vocational training, public procurement, industry, housing and urban development, employment, culture, youth and sports, information technology, civil aviation and maritime transport.

Ibrahimaj also welcomed the technical talks held on December 12-13, coordinated by Deputy Economy and Innovation Minister Enkelejd Musabelliu, which she said laid the groundwork for aligning positions and identifying priority areas for cooperation.

A key outcome of the meeting was the signing of a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation and exchanging expertise in international economic policymaking, as well as a memorandum between the Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA) and Egypt’s General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI).

The agreements aim to promote the exchange of expertise, training programmes, human capital development and joint initiatives to support innovation, digitalisation and sustainable economic growth.

Providing figures, Ibrahimaj said the stock of Egyptian investment in Albania stands at around 7 million euros, while about 370 enterprises with Egyptian partners currently operate across the country, including in Tirana, Durres, Fier, Korce, Shkodra, Kukes and Vlora.

She said rising exports and the potential for trade diversification point to real opportunities for further expanding economic cooperation.

Ibrahimaj reaffirmed Albania’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with Egypt, continuing institutional dialogue and taking concrete steps to implement agreements and launch joint projects in 2026, adding that Albania is ready to host the second session of the joint commission in Cairo.

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Spiropali wrote in the social media that during the meeting they discussed on issues like, “The traditional and historical friendship between the two countries, but also the promotion of economic cooperation, the intensification of Parliamentary cooperation as well as the cooperation between our countries in the Mediterranean region”. /p.s./

Talks focused on enhanced cooperation to promote tourism between Albania and Egypt through experience sharing and implementation of joint projects.

The Director General of the National Tourism Agency briefed the Egyptian diplomat on Agency’s efforts to promote Albania as major tourist destination, as well as the government’s vision for tourism development by 2030.

She also highlighted projects to improve infrastructure, support quality and sustainable tourism, as well as extension of the tourist season as some of main pillars that ensure sustainable economic development.

Çela and Egyptian Ambassador also discussed ways to establish cooperation bridges with Egypt’s Tourism Authority (ETA), responsible for tourism promotion.

On his part, the Egyptian Ambassador expressed readiness to use effective mechanisms as a way to further grow bilateral relations in terms of tourism promotion.

“Albania has contributed to establishment of the modern Egyptian state and therefore we attach importance to strengthening relations between the two countries by encouraging more Egyptian investors to invest in Albania,” Ambassador Shawky said.

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Et’hemaj and the Egyptian diplomat highlighted the traditional long-standing ties between the two nations and discussed ways to launch scheduled direct flights between Albania and Egypt.

The two agreed on more intense talks and meetings aimed at drafting, negotiating and signing the respective document in a very near future.

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During their meeting, Spiropali and the two ambassadors discussed the very good bilateral relations, ways to expand economic and trade cooperation, boost investment, enhance parliamentary cooperation and common contributions to peace and stability.

Talks also focused on lobbying effort and the continued support of Qatar and Egypt for Kosovo.

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Minister of Defense Niko Peleshi wished the Albanian soldiers a successful mission.

Peleshi assessed that this is a mission of critical importance and a successful commitment of the US for regional stability in the Middle East for about 40 years.

The mission of the MFO is to oversee the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

The deployment of Albanian troops in this mission is an event of historical significance, since for the first time Albania contributes military troops to guarantee the peace agreement in the Sinai Peninsula.

At the same time, this is a special contribution in terms of strategic cooperation in the field of defense with the United States of America./p.s./

Attending the event was Minister of Culture of Albania Elva Margariti and her Egyptian counterpart Nevin El Kilany.

It is considered one of the great achievements, not only scientific but also artistic of the time. This work contains 844 engravings, the work of some of the most famous artists of the time and has played a great influence throughout Europe.

In fact, it marks not only the beginning of Egyptology as a scientific discipline, but also the birth of the passion for the art of ancient Egypt throughout the Western world.

Due to its exceptional typographical quality, beauty and content, this famous work is one of the pearls of the collection of rare publications of the National Library of Albania.

With its 11 volumes, which are presented in this exhibition, there are covered the most diverse aspects of ancient Egypt and modern Egypt. This is the first time that this collection is presented to the Albanian public. /j.p/p.s./

Egyptian minister expressed her pleasure to visit Albania, which she appreciated as a very special country between East and West, which has managed to preserve culture and traditions. She expressed readiness for the development of relations between our two countries in the field of culture, not only in music, opera and ballet, but also in museology, visual arts and in the education of young people.

“The fruit of the cooperation between the two countries is the gala concert with the participation of the Egyptian soprano Amira Selim”, said Minister Kilani.

“Egypt of extraordinary culture comes with a calendar that starts with a concert of the Cairo Opera Orchestra and the Opera and Ballet Theater, as a crowning of the memorandum of cooperation between our two opera houses, to continue with an exhibition organized by the National Library, which reveals Egypt to us through images”, said Minister Margariti.

“Description de l’Egypte” is an exhibition of several original, monumental books, written by a multitude of researchers, in the tradition of research-scientific travels of the 18th century and published by order of Napoleon Bonaparte. This collection belongs to the exceptional and previously unexhibited treasury of the National Library.

Not to be missed is the concert with Egyptian folk music, in “Skënderbej” Square, a unique performance by the Egyptian Folk Group. The events of the Egyptian cultural week will be divided between Tirana and the city of Gjirokastra.

“I believe that this is just the beginning of a new collaboration, which will expand into other fields, not only in opera and ballet, but also in visual arts, theater, etc.,” said Margariti.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has also promoted the Egyptian cultural week, through a post on social networks, where he recalled that after the gala evening of the musicians of the Cairo Opera Orchestra and Tirana Opera and Ballet, the events will continue with a variety of other activities such as cinematography, exhibitions, music, films, literature and cuisine.

There are a total of 17 cultural weeks planned until November. The International Cultural Weeks, which started with France and will end with Kosovo, will bring to the capital but also to several other cities, a diversity of cultures and liveliness of the artistic life./p.s./

The Premier got acquainted with the history of the Mosque, a very interesting landmark with unique architectonic values built by the famous architect Yusuf Boshnak.

The historian accompanying the government head during the visit said that “the Mosque was built in memory of Tusun Pasha, Muhammad Ali’s oldest son. The Mosque’s construction kicked off in 1830 and work continued until Muhammad Ali died in Alexandria in 1848. The Mosque has been built in the architectural Ottoman style, comprising square buildings with two arcades.

PM Rama saw some of the special sites of the magnificent Mosque and got acquainted with historical and architectural details in particular.

“The square we are in is called Haram for its resemblance with the Masjid al-Haram also known as the Great Mosque of Mecca, featuring an open courtyard and a fountain for people to perform their ablutions. We can see the typical Ottoman cylindrical minarets, which are 82 meters high above the ground. Here we have the monumental tower clock which was presented to Muhammad Ali by King Louis Philippe of France and Muhammad Ali’s son Said built the tower to install the clock on it. It is the first clock with mechanism in Egypt. It has been recently repaired and it will hopefully start working again. We can go in and visit the next arcade of the mosque. People don’t pray here, but inside the mosque. The site’s architect has been a very famous one, Yusuf Boshnak. He modelled it after the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul. The architect himself was from Istanbul and the mosque is an imitation and the Ottoman-era influence exchanges between Turkey and Egypt. The mosque is also called at the Alabaster Mosque, because it is covered with alabaster. This type of marble comes from a province 100 kilometers away from Cairo. “As we come in, we notice the Quran inscriptions,” the historian said.

PM Rama also visited the Tomb of Muhammad Ali, built inside the mosque in 1857, around nine years after his death.

The Cairo Fortress, which houses the Mosque and Tomb of Muhammad Ali, is one of the most popular landmarks and tourist attractions in Egypt with about 5 to 8,000 visitors per day.

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The Albanian government head was extended official welcoming ceremony during his two-day visit to Egypt.

On first day of his visit to Cairo, PM Rama held official expanded talks with the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdul-Fattah Sisi, and the Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly.

Albania and Egypt signed a number of a number of memoranda of understanding and cooperation protocols in culture.

The delegation accompanying PM Rama during the visit to Cairo includes the Minister of Interior Bledi Çuçi, and the Minister of Culture Elva Margariti.

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