Albania seeks stronger ties with Pakistan

Albania has expressed a strong desire to deepen bilateral relations with Pakistan by expanding trade, investment, tourism and institutional cooperation, while also seeking professional training opportunities for Albanian officials in Pakistani institutions.

The proposals emerged during a meeting between Albania's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, and Tahseen Sayed, Albania's Honorary Consul in Pakistan.

According to Sayed, FM Hoxha reaffirmed Albania's commitment to strengthening engagement with Pakistan, particularly in the areas of trade promotion, tourism development and capacity-building programmes for Albanian civil servants through Pakistan's leading administrative training institutions.

The two sides discussed a range of practical initiatives aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two countries. These included the launch of consultations between senior officials of their respective foreign ministries, the participation of Albanian Foreign Ministry personnel in professional training programmes in Islamabad, the organisation of trade exhibitions, collaboration in the information technology sector, and greater involvement of Albanian officials, parliamentarians and civil society representatives in specialised events hosted by Pakistani institutions.

During her visit to Tirana, Sayed also held meetings with representatives of Albania's private sector, academic community and research organisations. The discussions revealed considerable interest in developing closer links with Pakistani businesses, universities, think tanks and research institutions. "The discussions during this visit highlighted promising opportunities to further strengthen cooperation, particularly at a time when Islamabad is emerging as one of Asia's most dynamic capitals," Sayed said.