Danish MFA Kofod and Danish Ambassador to Albania Dinesen on a two day visit to Albania

From 1.-2. September the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeppe Kofod and Denmark’s Ambassador to Albania, Austria, Kosovo and Slovakia, René Dinesen, visited the Albanian capital Tirana. Here they met with Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, President Ilir Meta and the Albanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Olta Xhaçka.

According to Minister Kofod the trip to Albania underlines and consolidates the strong bilateral relations between Denmark and Albania. Topics of discussion during the meetings were cooperation on tackling COVID-19, developments in Afghanistan, migration, Albania’s EU integration process, as well as the Danish-Albanian cooperation on security and stability. 
 
Denmark fully supports Albania’s EU integration process and acknowledges Albania’s impressive reform efforts over the last years. Kofod encouraged the Albanian decision makers to continue the high pace of reforms. Like Denmark, Albania is also member of NATO, and during the meeting with Prime Minister Rama, Minister Kofod, on behalf of Denmark, expressed his appreciation for Albania’s strong contributions to NATO operations. Kofod also applauded Albania’s election to the United Nations Security Council in 2022-2023.
 
Denmark and Albania have enjoyed more than 50 years of diplomatic relations, and in recent years the very good bilateral relations have strengthened further. Good cooperation also entails helping out one and another in times of need. So when a devastating earthquake hit Albania on 26. November 2019 Denmark pledged and provided a 2 Million euro recovery package to Albania. Last year Denmark donated 30 ventilators to Albania, and recently Denmark pledged a donation of approx. 250.000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Albania to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.