Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, currently in Budapest, was welcomed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto.
Minister Hasani appreciated Hungary’s continuous support for Albania’s journey towards the EU, emphasizing that the relationship between the two countries strengthens day by day.
“The fact that the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council has declared the integration of the Western Balkans as one of its priorities is the clearest indication of this commitment. We would have liked that the importance of our region integration to be understood by as many EU countries in the way our Hungarian friends do. If so, 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, highlighting that Hungary is more present in the Albanian market today than ever before.
Minister Szijjarto expressed that the security situation in Europe is unstable, emphasizing that the integration of the Western Balkans is crucial for Europe’s security and beyond.
“The priority of our presidency is the expansion of the EU. We know it will be a tough battle because there are countries behind closed doors that do not want this. But this will not be the case for Albania. Twenty years of effort, and we believe Albania is ready for negotiations. The more delays, the more questions arise about the integrity of the EU in the region,” he said.
The two ministers signed two agreements, which contribute concretely to deepen the Albania-Hungary ties.
The Stipendium Hungaricum Agreement for bilateral cooperation in the field of education aims to strengthen cooperation through student exchanges and experiences in university and post-university education until 2027.
Meanwhile, the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of diplomacy aims to establish and further develop cooperation for diplomat training and information exchange in relevant academic disciplines.
/Argumentum.al
