Overview

Albania officially recognized Montenegro on July 12, 2006, immediately after the restoration of independence. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on August 1, 2006. From 2006 until today, the relations between the two countries have seen positive and growing developments. Citizens of the two countries move to the respective countries using their identity card or passport.

Bilateral relations

Montenegro traditionally remains a partner of special importance for Albania. The friendly relations between the two countries are a good example for regional reconciliation and coexistence and both countries have offered and offer a lot for peace, stability and security in the region. The cooperation between our two countries in recent years has marked a noticeable progress and our political dialogue has intensified and remains irreversibly oriented towards the Euro-Atlantic perspective. Our two countries are reliable partners in NATO and are working hard to achieve their major national objective, EU membership, offering each other maximum support in this great challenge not only for our countries, but for the entire region of the Western Balkans.
Albania and Montenegro also have a good coordination in terms of regional cooperation, which is key if the European Union decides to open up to certain forms of cooperation, such as the single market, innovation, education and the green agenda. Our countries are actively participating in Regional Initiatives that contribute to the promotion of regional cooperation and the acceleration of the EU integration of the Western Balkans. Under these conditions, Albania cooperates with Montenegro in regional initiatives such as: WBF, RYCO, SEECP, RCC, MARRI, CEI, AII, the Berlin process, etc.
Of particular importance in the rapid advancement of bilateral relations are the implementation of the agreements signed at the G2G held in Podgorica on February 27, 2023, where 12 agreements were signed in the fields of defense, culture, education, infrastructure, agriculture, health and defense social. Particular focus will be on issues such as: the opening of new border points, the increase of investments and projects in cross-border areas, which are expected to have a direct connection with European corridors, as well as the creation of joint tourist packages.
Albania considers that the Albanians living in Montenegro and the Montenegrin minority in Albania are stable bridges between the two countries and important contributors to the advancement of bilateral relations.

Economic cooperation

Both our countries have shown the will to increase and deepen the economic-commercial cooperation. Current trade exchanges do not coincide with very good political relations. For the year 2023, Montenegro was ranked 24th among Albania’s trading partners. The Montenegrin market is the 10th largest in value for Albanian exports and the 44th supplier for Albania. In January 2024, 68 Montenegrin-owned companies were active in the territory of Albania.
An increasing trend has been verified in recent years in the number of Montenegrin tourists. During 2023, their number increased by 44% compared to the previous year, or 6% of total visitors. This positive trend was also maintained in the first 9 months of 2024.