The Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to the Republic of Croatia, H.E. Ms Donika Hoxha, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Environmental Protection and Green Transition of the Republic of Croatia, Ms Marija Vučković, together with her associates.

During the meeting, the excellent and friendly relations between Albania and Croatia were reaffirmed, further strengthened by the Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed in Zagreb on 4 December 2018 by Prime Ministers Edi Rama and Andrej Plenković.

Ambassador Hoxha expressed her appreciation for Croatia’s strong support and technical assistance to Albania throughout its European Union accession process. She underlined Albania’s interest in further strengthening cooperation in the fields of the economy, environmental protection and green transition, as well as in benefiting from Croatia’s experience in the use of EU funds and project management.

Special attention was devoted to the protection of the marine environment and the issue of Adriatic Sea pollution originating from land-based sources, including waste management. Ambassador Hoxha emphasized the importance of a coordinated regional approach, noting that the Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea represent a shared responsibility, particularly given the strategic importance of tourism for both countries.

Both sides expressed readiness to further intensify practical cooperation and agreed on the importance of organizing a ministerial-level meeting with the participation of expert services at the beginning of 2026, aimed at identifying concrete and sustainable solutions to prevent marine pollution and strengthen waste management systems, in line with EU standards and the framework of the Barcelona Convention.