At the reception organized on the occasion of the birthday of His Majesty, King Charles III, the British ambassador assessed that Albania has great potential.

“And precisely because of this, I am clear that this country will achieve even greater things in the future. As British Ambassador, I am determined to forge the strongest possible relationship between the United Kingdom and Albania. As British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said when he visited Albania last month, we already have a broad and thriving partnership. A partnership for security. A partnership for defence. An economic and commercial development partnership. A partnership for justice,” he said.

The ambassador emphasized that “this has become possible as a result of our friendship and your hard work.”
“Now, other countries want to learn from Albania and the United Kingdom. The way we developed a bilateral partnership that is delivering so many results, so quickly. Last year I called on you to do what is possible to persuade young people not to destroy their lives by traveling illegally to the United Kingdom,” said the British ambassador.

King-Smith said that the United Kingdom is a committed partner for the economic development of Albania, while emphasizing that “in the international arena we welcome how Albania continues to be one of our strongest allies in NATO, in support of Ukraine and in the stand against Russia at the United Nations.”

“We will continue to support you, both in terms of security and economy. We will help you boost regional connectivity and invest in rail and infrastructure so that you and everyone across the Western Balkans can easily travel, trade and do business with each other. We will support our excellent cooperation on border security, strengthen your cyber defenses and carry out more joint operations between our police forces, prosecutors and intelligence agencies to ensure the safety of citizens,” he added.

The ambassador said that “while there are also many external threats, Albania’s biggest challenge, as it continues on its Euro-Atlantic path, most likely comes from within.”
“In the coming years, Albania will fulfill its full potential only if you participate in a joint effort to eradicate corruption, strengthen your democratic institutions and bring criminals to justice. To all parliamentarians, officials, politicians and other partners, I am pleased this evening to see so many representatives of the judiciary, independent institutions and civil society come together”, said the ambassador.
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