The companies are presenting their products and services at Albania’s national pavilion, seeking to promote their offerings and explore cooperation opportunities with international partners.

On the opening day, the Albanian pavilion was visited by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, accompanied by Albania’s ambassador to Slovenia, Oljan Kanushi. They met representatives of the participating Albanian companies and were briefed on their products and international market offerings.

MOS 2026 is being held in Celje from Sept. 16 to 20, focusing on business, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and new opportunities for cooperation.

The Albanian pavilion is also serving as a venue for business-to-business (B2B) meetings, presentations and networking between Albanian companies and foreign partners.

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The meeting took place on the sidelines of Bled Strategic Forum (BSF26).

Hoxha shared that the conversation focused on the process of Albania’s membership in the European Union, the future of Europe and the strategic importance of the Western Balkans.

Hoxha also emphasized that during the meeting they discussed the need to further strengthen our economic ties and people-to-people contacts, bringing them in line with the excellent political dialogue between our two countries.

“Albania and Slovenia share the conviction that EU enlargement is, first and foremost, a merit-based process, earned through reforms, delivery and mutual trust. At the same time, it is increasingly a geopolitical imperative and an investment in a stronger, safer and more resilient Europe,” he added.

Hoxha assured that Albania is fully committed to maintaining the pace of reforms and delivering on its commitments, with the objective of advancing decisively towards the conclusion of the European Union accession negotiations within this decade. /m.m/a.f/r.e/p.s./

Economy and Innovation Minister Delina Ibrahimaj said the agreement would bring the total number of Albania’s bilateral social security agreements to 17, including 11 with European Union member states.

“The agreement with Slovenia brings the total number of bilateral social security agreements signed by Albania to 17, of which 11 are with EU member states,” Ibrahimaj told reporters after a regular cabinet meeting.

She said the agreements formed part of a long-term government policy that had gathered pace in recent years to protect workers’ social security rights.

“This is a key policy for protecting labour rights and ensuring that individuals who have worked for a number of years in Albania and in another country can receive the social security benefits to which they are entitled,” she said.

Ibrahimaj said the lack of such agreements had been a longstanding issue, highlighting last year’s ratification of a social security accord with Italy, home to the largest Albanian diaspora.

According to the minister, around 20,000 Albanian citizens have so far benefited from bilateral agreements providing for the recognition of social security contribution periods accumulated abroad.

She added that Albania was currently negotiating four additional social security agreements, which are expected to be submitted to the government for approval in the coming months.

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The Albania-Slovenia Business Forum was organized by the Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA), in cooperation with SPIRIT Slovenia, the Institute for Strategic Solutions (ISR) and the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tirana, with a special focus on the sectors of construction, information and communication technology (ICT), food and beverage industry, innovation in agriculture and tourism.

This forum is a key platform for strengthening economic cooperation and creating new partnerships between the two countries.

According to AIDA, the Memorandum of Understanding signed between this institution and Spirit Slovenia aims to promote cooperation in terms of information exchange, organizing joint activities and increasing investments in the respective countries.

During the forum, there were made speeches and presentations by Deputy Minister of Economy and Innovation Enkelejd Musabelliu, who invited Slovenian businesses to invest in Albania, emphasizing the macroeconomic stability.

AIDA’s CEO Laura Saro presented the investment potential and the agency’s role as a partner of investors throughout the process, with digitalized procedures and continuous institutional support.

Ambassador of Slovenia to Albania Jakob Štunf and Tine Kračun, CEO of the Institute for Strategic Solutions, emphasized the significance of the moment for bilateral economic relations.

Meanwhile, Nataša Kos, representative of SPIRIT Slovenia, put a special focus on the Slovenian economy, exports and innovation.

The forum included two discussion panels, “Stronger Together” and “When Markets Unite”, transforming global challenges into development opportunities, with a focus on finance, insurance, logistics, innovation and Artificial Intelligence.

The forum highlighted the significance of Albania-Slovenia economic cooperation and the opportunities for expansion and long-term investments.

Attending the event were institutional representatives, business leaders and investors from Albania and Slovenia. /e.i/j.p/p.s./

Rama is a featured speaker on the high-level panel titled “The State, the EU, and the Champions of the Future,” where he is expected to share Albania’s and the Western Balkans’ perspectives on EU integration with business and political leaders.

He is set to join Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos in the panel “The Bled Promise: Dream or Reality?”, with discussions to center on the EU’s enlargement agenda and the region’s reform trajectory.

Rama is expected to highlight Albania’s progress and the remaining challenges in its EU accession path, with the country approaching the final chapter-opening phase of membership talks.

The forum also offers opportunities for bilateral meetings and expanded regional cooperation.

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The Executive Director of the Albanian Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA), Maksim Et’hemaj, received Friday the Slovenian Ambassador to Albania, Jakob Štunf.

After the meeting, Et’hemaj said that talks focused on ways to establish direct flights between Albania and Slovenia.

Et’hemaj also said that he and the Slovenian Ambassadors discussed knowhow transfer in the field of service and airplanes maintenance operations, and employment of human resources, depending on the needs and development of Civil Aviation professionals, exploring potential in the field of technology and digitalization, as well as their application in civil aviation.”

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Presenting the bill on ratification of the agreement at regular plenary session of Parliament, Defense Minister underlined that deal aimed at strengthening defense against natural disasters and other emergencies.

According to him, the agreement is in line with Albanian government policies to strengthen Civil Protection in the framework of NATO and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Vengu told lawmakers that the deal will regulate mutual assistance during emergencies and natural disasters, allow for the exchange of technical knowledge, and support training in civil protection.

Slovenia has consolidated Civil Protection capacities and has set an example in terms of networking volunteers throughout the country to cope with natural disasters, but also in terms of coordination between local and central government for civil protection.

“Partnership with Slovenia reinforces our commitment to NATO, the EU, and other international organizations, showing that Albania is a trusted and active partner,” Vengu said.

The agreement highlights Albania’s efforts to improve its disaster preparedness while strengthening ties with its international partners.

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Writing in the social media, Minister Gonxhja shared moments from the meeting during which they discussed strengthening of bilateral relations and cooperation in projects with economic impact, focusing on the Slovenian experience in the mountain and rural economy.

Minister Gonxhja emphasized the significance of developing new strategies for attracting foreign investments and generating commercial and regional growth. He emphasized innovative entrepreneurship and the promotion of Albania as an important tourist destination.

During the meeting, both parties shared common priorities and regional and integration perspectives, recognizing Slovenia’s continued support for the countries of the Western Balkans in the process of harmonization and membership in the European Union. /r.e//a.f/p.s./

PM Rama will join other leaders, including Slovenian President Natasa Musar, The European Commission President Ursula Von der Layen, Prime Minister Golob, and his counterparts from Croatia and Montenegro.

The government head will participate in a high-level panel discussion entitled “A World of Parallel Realities,” alongside the Slovenian, Croatian and Serbian counterparts.

Held in the picturesque town of Bled, around 60 km from Ljubljana, the forum convenes key figures to address global challenges. Forum focuses on vital issues such as security, climate change, global health, and socio-economic inequality etc.

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Jusic is in Albania as a member of Slovenian delegation headed by Minister of the Interior Bostjan Poklukar that is paying a visit to our country at invitation of Interior Minister Taulant Balla.

Rrumbullaku positively assessed the very good cooperation between the two police forces, based on three basic agreements, signed by the governments of Albania and Slovenia. This cooperation has been effective, especially in context of INTERPOL and EUROPOL.

“The new security challenges, the joint commitment against organized crime and illegal migration, along with the increased number of Slovenian tourists visiting Albania, push us to review the existing agreements between the two countries. It is high time to consolidate the interaction in the police field, also facing new phenomena in the field of security”, said the general director of the State Police.

For his part, the general director of the Slovenian Police thanked the Albanian State Police for the cooperation and the possibility of a bilateral meeting. He pointed at areas such as computer and cybercrime that must be handled professionally along the attack on the crime of organized and illegal migration.

Due to the high number of holidaymakers, the Slovenian Police will bring an attaché to Albania, who will also help communication with the Albanian authorities.

In this context, the general director of the Albanian Police mentioned that, during past year, there was recorded no criminal event or any case when the safety of tourists was violated. The number of Slovenian citizens who entered Albania during 2023 was about 22 thousand.

The State Police and the Slovenian Police agreed to work together on the revision and completion within the year 2024 of the agreement between the two governments on cooperation in the fight against terrorism, illegal trafficking, drugs and organized crime, signed on 24.11.1993. /r.e/p.s./