Remarks of Albania at the OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group Delivered by H.E. Ms. Eglantina Gjermeni

Ambassador, Permanent Representative, 7 July 2025, Vienna

Thank you, Mister Chair,

Distinguished colleagues,

Albania thanks the Maltese Chair and the Japanese Mission at the OSCE for convening this meeting, as well as panelists for their comprehensive presentations. It is a pleasure to address you today as we reaffirm the importance of our partnership within the framework of the OSCE and beyond. I speak to you not only as a representative of Albania, but as a committed advocate for dialogue, cooperation, and shared prosperity between Europe and Asia.

Albania has been a strong advocate for an increased active role of the OSCE Asian Partners in our Organization, with a view to strengthen the co-operation and our partnership. In 2019 Bratislava Ministerial Council, Albania put forward the successful initiative to change the name of the Asian Contact Group to the Asian Partners for Co-operation Group. We did so with a vision to underscore the significance of our partnership, based on mutual co-operation and understanding, not just for the sake of changing the name.

In 2020, the OSCE Asian Partnership for Co-operation also marked an important milestone – its 25th anniversary. With the adoption of the Tirana Ministerial Council Declaration on “Cooperation with the OSCE Asian Partners” – where the OSCE participating States once again committed themselves to deepen and expand dialogue – there was no better way to celebrate it.

Albania places great value on its longstanding and growing cooperation with the Asian Partners of the OSCE. These relationships have steadily evolved into constructive and multidimensional partnerships that extend far beyond traditional diplomacy.

Albania is investing in new airports, railways and expanding its existing ports. In recent years, Albania has strengthened its economic engagement with Asia through trade, investment, infrastructure development, and knowledge exchange. This engagement is not driven solely by numbers and contracts, but by shared values, common interests, and a vision of inclusive development.

Albania, as a gateway between Southeast Europe and wider Eurasia, is committed to enhancing connectivity between Europe and Asia. We support initiatives that promote regional integration, including improved digital links, transport corridors, and knowledge networks. Albania has contributed to regional platforms that facilitate intercontinental trade and logistics, including through its growing port infrastructure and road and rail connections. Moreover, through active participation in OSCE regional cooperation mechanisms and cross-regional dialogues, Albania provides a valuable platform for exchange and engagement between Asian partners and the Western Balkans.

Through bilateral frameworks and multilateral platforms such as the OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group, we have opportunities to deepen our cooperation—not just through policy, but through partnership. Not just through agreements, but through shared progress.

Thank you for your continued friendship and commitment to building a more secure, connected, and prosperous future for all of us.

Thank you.