President Begaj in Latvia with counterpart Rinkēvičs: Full support secured for Albania’s EU integration, direct flight connection established, strengthened cooperation on security as NATO allies
Today, President of the Republic of Albania, His Excellency Bajram Begaj, commenced a state visit to Latvia, marking the first stop in the Baltic Republics. This state visit is also the first of its kind by an Albanian President to the three Baltic States: Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
The reception organized in honor of President Begaj was attended by the President of Latvia, His Excellency Edgars Rinkēvičs, the Speaker of the Parliament, Her Excellency Daiga Mieria, the Prime Minister, Her Excellency Evika Siliņa, among other representatives of the Latvian state and government.
Initially, President Begaj had a one-on-one meeting with his counterpart Rinkēvičs, whom he thanked for the warm welcome, describing it as a moment to strengthen the excellent political dialogue between the two friendly nations that share common stances on regional and global issues.
President Begaj expressed Albania’s commitment to intensifying cooperation in all fields of mutual interest and within international organizations.
Regarding economic relations, the two Presidents discussed enhancing and expanding them, including direct investments, tourism, trade exchanges, education, and scientific research. A proposal was made to establish a permanent direct flight, which would foster closer ties between the two countries and increase the flow of exchanges and tourism.
While appreciating Latvia’s support during Albania’s European integration process, President Begaj stated that with Albania’s significant progress in aligning with EU standards, it hopes for a clear and swift pathway to full EU membership.
The meeting considered the EU expansion into the Western Balkans as a resolution in the face of increased third-party influences exacerbated by the Russian aggression in Ukraine, and as an opportunity to promote stability and sustainable development in the region.
President Begaj expressed gratitude to Latvia for its contribution to the region, emphasizing the presence of troops as part of KFOR and supporting Kosova’s Euro-Atlantic integration.
The meeting discussed the new challenges that Albania and Latvia face as NATO allies, highlighting the need to strengthen cooperation in the defense and security sector. “Albania,” President Begaj stated, “remains in solidarity with Latvia with its troops in the multinational NATO battalion in Adazi.”
The one-on-one discussion between Presidents Begaj and Rinkēvičs was followed by an expanded meeting with the participation of respective delegations and subsequently, the heads of both states conducted a joint press conference.
