Albania, a key Muslim-majority country in the Balkans which is en route to EU membership, has sought closer trade and investment cooperation with Pakistan, especially opportunities for training of Albanian officials in Pakistan’s institutions.
This was stated by Tahseen Sayed, Honorary Consul for Albania in Pakistan, after her meeting with Ferit Hoxha, Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Foreign Minister Hoxha expressed Albania’s strong interest in further developing bilateral relations with Pakistan, especially in expansion of trade, promoting tourism and seeking training opportunities for Albanian officials in Pakistan’s higher institutions of administrative training.
Both sides also discussed a number of practical initiatives to advance cooperation, including initiation of consultations between senior officials of the respective ministries of Foreign Affairs, potential participation of Albanian Foreign Ministry officials in professional training programs in Islamabad, holding of trade exhibitions, IT and the participation of Albanian officials, parliamentariansand civil society representatives in specialized events organized by Pakistani institutions.
Tahseen Sayed also held productive meetings with representatives of Albanian private sector, academic and research institutions. There was considerable interest in learning more about Pakistan and exploring avenues for engagement with Pakistani businesses, universities, think tanks and research institutes.
“There is growing interest to expand interaction between Albania and Pakistan”, said Tahseen Sayed, Albania’s Honorary Consul. “The discussions held during this visit highlighted promising opportunities to further strengthen cooperation, more so, at a time, when Islamabad is one of the most happening places in Asia”. With tourism surging, a stable economy and good momentum on its European Union accession path, Albania is emerging as a promising European destination for tourism, trade and investment. Foreign Minister Hoxha and the Pakistani Envoy also agreed on the need to promote Peace in Europe and Asia, particularly to strengthen Inter-Faith Harmony and coexistence among communities, cultures and countries.