Outgoing Japanese Ambassador Makoto Ito Received by Albanian Speaker in Farewell Meeting

Japan’s growing geopolitical interest in the Western Balkans’ region through the Cooperation Initiative with the Western Balkans creates new opportunities for concrete cooperation with Japan, has said Speaker Gramoz Ruci who had a farewell meeting with the Ambassador of Japan to Albania, Makoto Ito on Tuesday.
Ambassador Ito ended his ambassadorial tenure in Albania being the first resident top envoy of Tokyo in Tirana.
Ruçi took the opportunity to express the gratitude to the Parliament and the Government of Japan for strengthening and expanding cooperation with Albania while highlighting the contribution and commitment of Ambassador Ito to strengthening and promoting this cooperation in all walks of life: politics, economy, education, culture, etc.
In the course of the last 20 years, Japan has been one of the main donor countries for Albania. It has provided $ 400 million financial support in the form of grants, assistance for economic cooperation, soft loans for education, health, infrastructure, environment, energy, etc. The two countries have signed 15 agreements and several others are in process. About 21 projects in support of community development have been funded.
The Cooperation Initiative with the Western Balkans launched by Japan is highly appreciated and viewed as a very important initiative for development and support for integration of regional countries, noted the Albanian Speaker.
For his part, Ambassador Ito thanked Parliament Speaker Ruçi for his appreciation of Albanian-Japanese cooperation. Japan will continue to assist Albania and the Embassy of Japan in Tirana will continue to work on the expansion of the bilateral cooperation in all areas, he said.