The Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Greece, Ms Luela Hajdaraga, attended the Strategic Forum on Balkan Cooperation, held in Tirana. The Forum brought together senior officials from Albania and Greece, university leaders, representatives of the business community, chambers of commerce, industry and export organisations, port authorities and other institutions from both countries.
The event provided a valuable platform for dialogue and engagement, aimed at strengthening bilateral economic ties, encouraging investment and fostering new partnerships to support sustainable growth and development across the region.

The opening session featured addresses by the Speaker of the Albanian Parliament, Mr Niko Peleshi; Albania’s Minister of the Interior, Mr Ervin Demo; Greece’s Deputy Minister of the Interior responsible for Macedonia and Thrace, Mr Konstantinos P. Gioulekas; Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for Economic Diplomacy and Extroversion, Mr Harry Theoharis, who addressed the Forum via video message; Albania’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Innovation, Mr Enkelejd Musabelliu; Albania’s Deputy Minister of Education, Ms Armela Baka; and the Ambassador of Greece to Albania, Ms Lambrini Komini.

The Forum’s thematic sessions focused on economic, regional and academic cooperation, exploring opportunities to expand business networks, support small and medium-sized enterprises, foster innovation, improve regional connectivity and strengthen links between higher education and the labour market. Dedicated business-to-business (B2B) meetings also provided opportunities to establish new contacts and identify potential areas for collaboration.

Against a backdrop of shifting global economic dynamics, closer economic cooperation between Albania and Greece is of growing strategic importance. With bilateral trade exceeding EUR 1 billion and a significant presence of Albanian businesses in Greece and Greek businesses in Albania, both countries are well positioned to build on their established economic ties, attract further investment and deepen their partnership.

The Albanian community in Greece and the Greek national minority in Albania continue to play an important role in bringing the two countries and their peoples closer together, serving as enduring bridges of friendship, dialogue and mutual understanding. Continued cooperation in the economic, institutional and academic spheres is central to further strengthening bilateral relations, promoting regional stability and prosperity, and advancing the European integration prospects of the wider region.