site.btaNational Assembly Chair Declares Bulgaria's Support for Albania's EU Integration

Bulgaria and Albania are ready to work toward expanding their bilateral partnership and cooperation, Bulgaria's National Assembly Chair Mihaela Dotsova and Albania's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha said after a meeting that took place here on Wednesday. Hoxha is in Bulgaria to participate in the meeting of foreign ministers of the South-East European Cooperation Process, the National Assembly press service reported.

Dotsova congratulated Hoxha on Albania's progress in the EU accession negotiations. She emphasized that Albania can rely on Bulgaria for support in the European integration process.

Dotsova noted Albania's efforts to protect the rights of national minorities and its official recognition of the Bulgarian national minority. "We attach particular importance to finding an appropriate way to provide mother-tongue education for members of our minority in Albania," she added. The National Assembly Chair described Hoxha's visit as a continuation of the traditional friendship and good relations between the two countries. She emphasized that there are no contentious issues between Bulgaria and Albania and that an active and fruitful dialogue is taking place.

Albania's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude for Bulgaria's support for his country's European integration. He added that for Albania, accession to the European Union is an extremely important process and a national mission on which there is full consensus among the Albanian people. "The Bulgarian minority is recognized and protected in Albania. It, like the Albanians in Bulgaria, serves as a bridge connecting our two friendly countries," he stated.

Bulgaria and Albania share a common commitment to further strengthening sectoral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, prioritizing trade and economic ties, energy, defence, tourism, culture, and education, as was emphasized at the meeting. Dotsova said: "I am convinced that our countries will continue to actively cooperate on the accelerated implementation of Corridor 8 – a project of key importance for the prosperity, sustainability, and security not only of the region but also of Europe as a whole."

The meeting was also attended by the head of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy, Petar Vitanov; head of the parliamentary Committee on Education and Science, Dimitar Zdravkov; and Aleksandar Uzunov, member of the parliamentary Defence Committee and the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee.