The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, who is in Budapest, was hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto.

Minister Hasani appreciated Hungary’s continuous support in Albania’s journey towards the European Union, as he underlined that the relations between the two countries are strengthening day by day.

“The fact that the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council has declared the integration of the Western Balkans one of its priorities is the clearest indication of this commitment. We would have liked our region and the importance of its integration to be understood by as many EU countries as well as our Hungarian friends. I am convinced that the process would have been much more advanced today”, said the Albanian chief diplomat.

According to Minister Hasani, there is a clear increase in economic cooperation between the two countries, as he emphasized that today Hungary is more present than ever in the Albanian market.

Minister Szijjarto said that the security situation in Europe is unstable, as he emphasized that the integration of the Western Balkans is key for the security of Europe and beyond.

“The priority of our presidency is the enlargement of the EU. We know that it will be a strong battle because behind closed doors there are countries that do not want this. But this will not be the case of Albania. 20 years of effort and we believe that Albania is ready for negotiations. The more delays, the more in question the integrity of the EU in the region”, he said.

The two ministers signed two agreements, which concretely contribute to deepening Albania-Hungary ties.

The Stipendium Hungaricum agreement for bilateral cooperation in the field of education aims to strengthen cooperation through the exchange of students and experiences in university and postgraduate education, until 2027.

While the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of diplomacy aims to establish and further develop cooperation for the training of diplomats and the exchange of information in the relevant academic disciplines.