Albania's deputy foreign minister may become ambassador to Azerbaijan

Albania's parliamentary committee on foreign policy conducted hearings today with Besart Kadia, the current Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, as the prospective ambassador to Azerbaijan, according to Report, which cites the Albania Telegraph Agency (ATA).

During his address to the committee, Kadia highlighted the evolving relationship between Albania and Azerbaijan, emphasizing the expansion of bilateral cooperation over the past three decades.

"We have proven that the relations between our two countries are built on a solid foundation of mutual respect and fruitful cooperation," Kadia stated, reflecting on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties celebrated just last year.

Reminding about the entry into force of the visa liberalization agreement between the two countries on June 15, he emphasized the importance of establishing direct air communication between Baku and Tirana.

"This will contribute to the further development of tourism and create new opportunities for expanding trade relations. The next step is direct investments in the tourism sector, which will help the economic development of both countries. Investors from Azerbaijan have already invested in tourism in countries of the region, and I hope that the positive experience of these countries will become a model for attracting similar investments to Albania," he said.

Kadia also emphasized the importance of economic cooperation with Azerbaijan in the energy sector, which he called one of the most important aspects of bilateral relations.

"The Southern Gas Corridor project, which also includes the TAP segment, is a strategic project that connects Azerbaijan with Italy through several countries, including Albania. However, Albania has not yet received natural gas from this project, despite the fact that the pipeline passes through our territory. Our goal is for Albania to become a beneficiary of this gas project," Kadia stated.

According to him, over the past 3 years, contacts between Albania and Azerbaijan have significantly intensified: "This proves the commitment of both sides to implementing the strategic project [gas supply], which is expected to bring great benefits to the city of Korca, for which a preliminary study on gasification has already been conducted."