The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, paid an official visit to Zagreb. This was the first official visit of Minister Hasani to Croatia, right after the 15th anniversary of the two countries’ membership in NATO.
During his stay in Zagreb, Minister Hasani was received in a meeting by the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović. The intense political dialogue between the two countries was appreciated, underlining the importance of continuous cooperation on regional and global issues.
Minister Hasani also held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković. In the meeting, Minister Hasani expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Plenković for the continuous support that Croatia has given to Albania towards the European path. Also, during the meeting, the importance of holding joint sessions between the two governments was underlined, as an interaction expected to give a new, more complete dimension to bilateral cooperation.
Further, Minister Hasani met with his Croatian counterpart, Gordan Grlić-Radman. At the end of the meeting, the two ministers held a joint press conference.
“Confident in cooperating with the new incoming government in the same spirit of strategic partnership, which is stronger today and is fueled by our common foreign policy priorities and the same vision for the future of the Western Balkans,” said Minister Hasani in his speech.
Also, focusing on the issue of integration, Minister Hasani emphasized that there is only one future for Albania: EU membership. Hasani expressed gratitude for Croatia’s continuous support in Albania’s EU integration process, as well as praised Croatia’s achievements after joining the EU, as encouraging for the entire region.
The ministers also focused on economic cooperation, mainly in discussions related to the development of the tourism sector, for which Hasani expressed that the experience of Croatia and the cooperation between the two countries are valuable.
Furthermore, Minister Hasani expressed his appreciation for the continuous support that Croatia has given to Kosovo, a demonstration of which was the recent vote in favor of Kosovo’s application for membership in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Minister Hasani concluded his official visit to Croatia by participating in the inauguration of the exhibition of the well-known Albanian photographer Roland Tasho “Albanians in Croatia”.
“Albanians benefited from the civilization, culture, traditions, and customs of the Croatian locals, as well as offered their help in various fields, becoming a bridge that connects and brings the two peoples closer together,” Minister Hasani underlined in his speech.”