He was hosted in a state ceremony at the Kadriorg Presidential Palace in Tallinn by Estonian counterpart Alar Karis, with whom he held a one-on-one meeting followed by another meeting in the presence of the respective delegations.

The one-on-one meeting between the presidents of the two countries revolved around strengthening bilateral relations, finalizing Albania’s EU accession process, enlarging the Union in the Western Balkans, cyber security cooperation, Ukraine and the response to Russian aggression.

Begaj expressed confidence that this visit will increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as tourism, energy, cyber security, electronic services and information and communication technology.

The Head of State said that the launch of Tallinn – Tirana air route by Air Baltic line is a good news.

“The direct line cuts distance, increases economic exchanges, boosts tourism and brings the two peoples closer together,” said President Begaj.

Besides the opportunities for tourism growth, President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj, stressed the fact that there is still room for growth of Estonian investments in Albania, such as in energy, agriculture, in the field of information technology and cyber security.

Another topic under discussion was the Estonian assistance to Albania in the aftermath of the 2022 cyberattack and, in this respect, President Begaj underlined the importance of following up with this cooperation through the Estonian Academy for the qualification of Albanian youth in the cyber field. As two NATO members, Albania and Estonia are committed to advancing the cooperation agenda for national defence and common cyberspace.

Regarding Albania’s EU accession process, President Begaj expressed his gratitude to President Alar Karis for the support, adding that Estonia should be more present in Albania with its expertise on integration, as a country ahead of the curve in the European Union for administrative reform.

“Albania is part of Europe,” said President Begaj, underlining the reforms to the benefit of the citizens, which will enable the finalization of EU membership as soon as possible” – said President Begaj.

Another challenge for the Western Balkan countries is confronting Russian influence after the aggression in Ukraine. The President of Albania expressed his gratitude to the President of Estonia for his support to Kosovo in its efforts to join Euro-Atlantic structures and international organizations.

Regarding Ukraine, the Head of State reasserted unconditional support for Ukraine in this confrontation with unjust and unjustified Russian aggression, arguing for pursuing the principle of respect and establishing the rule-based international order.

/sm/