Ditmir Bushati, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, received today in a meeting Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, who is conducting an official visit to our country. In the framework of this visit, the two counterparts held a joint meeting where a number of issues were discussed, with a focus on bilateral political, economic and trade relations, further cooperation opportunities between Albania and Turkey, as well as regional and international issues.

The two ministers aligned the Document for the Establishment of the High Level Cooperation Council, to be chaired by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania and the President of the Republic of Turkey with the aim of deepening and enhancing cooperation in all areas of mutual interest at bilateral, regional and global level. This Council will determine the strategy for developing relations between Turkey and Albania in the areas of politics, security, defense, economy, trade, energy, transport, tourism, culture, science, art and education, as well as contacts between people.

Minister Bushati stated that in this meeting, together with my friend Çavuşoğlu, we agreed to strengthen the economic dimension, because, according to him, the good political relationship is not necessarily accompanied in every case by the economic dimension.”Albania and Turkey have already clearly confirmed the political will to strengthen bilateral relations, to raise them at the strategic partnership level, and to identify new areas of cooperation across the whole framework of mutual interest, particularly in the economic and trade relations” said Minister Bushati.Turkish Minister Çavuşoğlu stated that during the meeting bilateral relations were addressed in all dimensions. “Our economic relations are growing every day, the trade between us is increasing, and so are Turkish investments in Albania. Our cooperation is very close.”He expressed the confidence that with the signing of the “Declaration”, cooperation between our countries will reach higher levels.

Joint press conference of Minister Bushati and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu

Hello to everyone!

It was my pleasure to welcome today in Tirana the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, my good friend, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, with whom we had the opportunity to consider the very good level of bilateral relations, whether in the political, and in economic and trade, to exchange views on security issues in the region, but also on the role that Turkey and Albania play in both NATO or other international instances.

We have also agreed today and have initiated an important strategic partnership document with Turkey, thus establishing a High Level Cooperation Council to be chaired by the executive chiefs of Turkey and Albania, respectively President Erdogan and Prime Minister Rama, where Foreign ministries and foreign ministers are in the role of coordinator, and through this document we anticipate joint meetings of both governments and periodic meetings, regarding both periodic coordination, but also issues of economic and trade character.
With my friend Çavuşoğlu, we also agreed that it is very important to strengthen the economic dimension, because the good political relationship is not necessarily accompanied by good economic dimension in every case. In this regard, we have taken the commitment together to build a clear calendar of our economic agenda, whether in terms of renewing the Free Trade Agreement with new elements and the new context in which we live, but also with the commission which will need to be convened between our two countries and with a further structuring of our economic relations, working together with the business community, mainly in two areas, tourism and agriculture.

Allow me to express also my gratitude for the continued support that Turkey has given to our country for defense cooperation and in the framework, but not only, of NATO, for the praiseworthy work done by TIKA, the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination in Albania in interaction with the institutions and agencies of the Albanian state regarding the elements related to cultural heritage. I also want to thank the Turkish government, the Turkish people for the support they have given to Albania even in difficult moments, such as the moments of floods in various parts of the country. Today, we discussed again with Minister Çavuşoğlu even about the steps that our agencies will undertake in this direction.
Thank you, I am passing the floor to you.

Speech by Turkish Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu

Thank you very much.

Very honorable press representatives.
Today, we have come to Albania.I am very happy to be in Albania, our ally, a country with which we have friendly and old historical ties.
I would also like to thank in your presence, my friend, Ditmir Bushati for the special hospitality he showed.I came to Albania yesterday. We had a very intensive program of meetings. This is the first time I visit Albania as Foreign Minister, but it is not the first time I come to Tirana. I have met even other times earlier here in Tirana with Mr. Bushati. I hope and wish that our mutual visits will increase in the future.

Today we have signed the “High Level Cooperation Declaration”, which, with the signing of our President, Mr. Erdogan and the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, will be formalized and our cooperation will reach higher levels.Such a mechanism Turkey has so far read with 22 countries. We have organized joint meetings of various governments and during these joint meetings, important decisions are made, important agreements are signed and the follow-up of this process is done by foreign ministers. With this new mechanism we are creating with Albania, will be developed the activity and coordination of the two foreign ministers who will follow the process and in due course will take the appropriate steps.
I think this will be a very useful mechanism.

Today we discussed our bilateral relations in all dimensions. Our economic relations are growing every day, both the trade between us and the Turkish investments in Albania are increasing. The number of Turkish firms operating in Albania is increasing. Currently there are US $ 3 million of Turkish investments in Albania. At the same time, I had a meeting with the Turkish Chamber of Commerce in Albania. They were very happy to be in Albania and we are thankful for the support and interest shown by the Albanian Government for the Turkish businessmen operating in Albania.
Certainly, special attention should be paid to the sectors of agriculture, energy or the construction of airports. We will encourage and support such investments and will make the necessary coordination.

Yesterday I was with the students and academics of New York University, which has been already taken over by the MAARIF Foundation. We must further strengthen our cooperation in the field of education and through MAARIF Foundation we will set up new schools in Albania, will raise the level of education in Albania. Not only Albanian students but also students from the Region will be accepted. Yesterday I saw students from Ireland too and I am very happy about this fact. Also in the health sector, Turkish firms have made great investments. They have built and will continue to build hospitals. They want to develop cooperation in the field of pharmaceutics and I would like to emphasize that we will continue this cooperation in the field of health.
In the field of international cooperation also, our cooperation is very close. We share in international institutions. Due to our healthy perspective, we have constantly and reciprocally supported the candidacies of each country and almost always have a coalition and objective to regional and international developments. Based on this concept, we have therefore welcomed Albania’s candidacy in the OSCE and we are convinced that Albania will win this candidacy. We also have joint efforts to strengthen security in the Balkans. We want both Albania and the Balkan countries to be better integrated into Euro-Atlantic institutions.

We also wish success to Albania in the process of European Integration. We know that this is not an easy process, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs I wish you success, I wish you luck and I sincerely wish you to achieve this goal.At this meeting, we also discussed security issues, about co-operation in the military defense field. Today I will be also received by the Prime Minister, Mr. Edi Rama, by the President, by the Speaker of the Assembly. And as a person who trusts in the parliamentary diplomacy, I would like to emphasize the importance of this cooperation.I would also like to thank my friend Ditmir Bushati once again for the special invitation and hospitality he has shown to me.

Questions from journalists

Question: Maliq Hasa, editor of KTA Media and Frekuenca.com. In fact I have a question for both ministers. As you say, the two states are increasing their relationship with one another. But on the issue of the fight against the terrorist organization FETO, which the President of Turkey, Honorable Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also said they are very empowered and continue to be empowered in Albania. Is there any concrete steps made by the Albanian state on this issue and is there any official and concrete request from our amicable state a friend to Turkey about this issue. And what can be done in the future?

Answer by Minister Çavuşoğlu: Many thanks for your question. It is useful to look at how the FETO organization works. It organized a coup in Turkey and, that night, 251 Turkish citizens were massacred. More than 2,000 other citizens were injured. They opened fire with helicopters, tanks against the people. It is a terrorist organization that used tanks against our people. That night, 251 people were martyred. They bombed the Parliament, shelled important Istanbul and Ankara points. But thanks to the courage of our people, thanks to the wisdom of our President Erdogan, we overcame this coup. Had that coup d’état won, could you imagine what might happen? But after that coup, Albania has shown a living example of solidarity with Turkey. But there is a truth. There is a very serious FETO structure in Albania, in every field, as in other countries. They have especially used the education system and have penetrated very well inside the state system. They cannot take any further steps. Certainly, this terrorist organization is an open and large threat against Turkey as well. They are not alone, we know what they are doing. We know that there are elements of FETO and we expect something from friendly Albania. At the same time, we expect anti-Turkish institutions in Albania to close. This is our expectation. But this organization is also a very serious threat to Albania. They can do everything. Also, I want to say this too. Let’s put aside those 251 martyrs. We do not host any terrorists coming from Albania. The same thing we expect from our Albanian friends.

Answer by Minister Bushati: To answer that question: In the economic plan, I agree a 100% with my friend Çavuşoğlu when he says that it is important to double the trade volume between our two countries and it is also important to create maximum ease for business community to work freely. There are about 10,000 Albanians employed in Turkish businesses investing in Albania and another topic of our discussion has been the strategy we will use to avoid any barriers in this regard in order to facilitate the presence of Turkish business in Albania, but why not in the future to correct the import-export imbalance existing with Turkey. As for the issue you raise, the response of the Albanian state is the answer we have given to Turkey, but also to the international level. Albania has been one of the first countries to show solidarity for what has happened in Turkey in the circumstances of the coup d’état, but on the other hand, it is a NATO member, a candidate country for the EU, has adhered in some important international documents in the field of extradition and any such policy is followed in diplomatic channels and not in press conferences.

Thank you!

Question: Elja Zotka from Klan Television. The first question for the Turkish minister. One of the works Turkey has funded is the new capital’s mosque. Is the inauguration of the mosque conditioned by the Turkish government with the name of the Muslim community leader? So, are you looking for the removal of the Muslim Community Leader?
And the question for Minister Bushati: How much does the departure, the resignation of the Greek Foreign Minister, impede the process of negotiations with Greece?

Answer by Minister Çavuşoğlu: Thank you. As you said, we are providing support for the construction of the Mosque of Namazgja. I am aware that the construction is almost completed. There are yet some details to finish. Work continues. When we provide such assistance, we take into account the expectations of the host country and have no other goals. When a request comes from other countries, we provide our support, we carry out restoration works. In this way, in various areas of Albania, with the proposal of Albanian institutions, we are continuing this restoration activity.

Answer by Minister Bushati: Thank you dear Mevlüt for this clarification, because in the Albanian media, but not only, there has been speculation on this issue. In fact, it is the familiar attitude that has to do with the DNA of the Albanian nation, on the principle of secularism, which was the guiding principle of our renaissance scholars, the founding fathers of the Albanian state. Thus, it would be absurd to think that the Albanian state can be involved in religious affairs, nor a foreign country, or a friendly country such as Turkey. With regard to the second question, I can say that relations between Albania and Greece have improved significantly in recent years and I believe that we will continue to be on the negotiating table with Greece to close open issues which, as I have said several times, have originated since the Second World War to date. Ministers go and come, governments go and come. It is important that problems are resolved.

Question: Thimi Samarxhi from Vizion Plus Television. A question for Minister Çavuşoğlu. In response to a colleague’s question a bit earlier, you said that in Albania there are elements of FETO and expect something from the amicable Albania. What is this something you expect from the amicable Albania and is it a non-paper request that has been made through, as it was done years ago, or did you tell it to Minister Bushati in the meeting what Turkey expects from Albania? And a joint comment, a message about what is currently happening in Macedonia, which is a key moment and voting is expected?

Answer by Minister Çavuşoğlu: Thank you very much for the question. After the coup attempt, we have clearly presented all the steps that should be taken to eliminate the FETO here, eliminating any activity against Turkey that is taking place here. We have always provided lists with their names to our Albanian friends. We have also provided lists of the names of persons we seek for their extradition. We made this request officially. Of course everything within the framework of International Right. We have submitted relevant court decisions, relevant documents. We expect these to be realized. This is important not only to us but also to our friend, Albania. The MAARIF Foundation, after seeing the risk of FETO, has taken over many schools in different countries. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, this foundation has either taken over the school, or will open the school itself. In this way, to countries that seek our support, we give this support.

With regard to Macedonia, after the referendum where participation was below 50%, of course we have always strongly supported Macedonia’s integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Even when we had discussions with Greece, Turkey’s decision was to support Macedonia. We are among the rare countries that acknowledge Macedonia with its existing name in NATO documents. Regardless of whether in favor of or against, we respect the decision of the Macedonian people for the referendum. With the support and contribution of both Albania and Turkey, we have invited Macedonia into NATO and their NATO integration process must continue.

Answer by Minister Bushati: Regarding the political processes in Macedonia, Albania has with no reserves supported the Prespa Accord. We believe that the only way for our neighbor is the Euro-Atlantic path and we look forward to the Prespa Accord to materialize both in the Parliament of Skopje and in the Greek Parliament. It is also important for us as Albania that this process develops in parallel with the commitments undertaken by Macedonia, both for the implementation of the law on bilingualism, since it is widely known that Macedonia is the country of the two main constituent communities, Macedonians and Albanians, plus minorities living there, and this would be a sign of the maturity on behalf of a democratic and European Macedonia, which is not only in the interest of Macedonians and Albanians but in the interest of the entire region.

Question: Mr. Minister, is it true that you have transmitted to Washington the voice recording of that journalist who entered the Consulate of Saudi Arabia in Turkey?

Answer by Minister Çavuşoğlu: We have read a news that Trump has asked … but it is not a Turkish authority that has submitted a voice recording. There is a process of investigation initiated by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office. We are expecting its result. There is some delay in this investigation. In the building of the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul, the necessary inquiries have been done. Now, the necessary studies, necessary analyzes, even laboratory tests are being made. All the results that will emerge will be distributed transparently to the world over. It is not a question of sharing this information with one country or another. We will share the emerging information with the whole world. There is a person lost in Turkey, but he was lost after entering the Saudi Arabian Consulate. After investigation there is information, but after all this is well explained, we will share it with all world public opinion, because the whole world is rightly concerned about what happened to this journalist.

Thank you!