The Speaker of the Albanian Parliament, Elisa Spiropali, paid an official visit to Turkey, where she was received by the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş.

Preserving peace in the Western Balkans during a time of global conflict was highlighted by both parliamentary leaders as an issue of great importance. In a joint statement in Ankara, the two counterparts committed to further strengthening bilateral relations, especially in the field of economy.

A peaceful and conflict-free Western Balkans — this was the message from the two speakers, of Albania and Turkey, following their one-on-one meeting in Ankara.

“We support peace and stability in the Balkans, especially in this time when the world is going through great turbulence. Every region is facing tension and armed conflict. I emphasize how important peace and stability in the Balkans are. The existing divergences must be resolved through dialogue,” declared Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkey.

Elisa Spiropali praised Turkey’s role in supporting peace, both in the region and globally.

“Albania and Turkey generate and provide the world with security and peace — values that are always needed, but critically important in the times we live in, when the clouds of war are no longer on the horizon, but circling our countries. We consider Turkey a historic and natural guarantor of peace in the region. Albania is also taking a leadership role in promoting cooperation among Western Balkan countries for development, Euro-Atlantic integration, and peace.”

The commitment of both countries — with Turkey seen as a strategic partner for Albania — includes the aim to double trade exchanges from 1 to 2 billion euros.