The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, welcomed at MEFA, the Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis.

Minister Xhaçka valued the focus of Lithuania on Albania, while expressing gratitude for Lithuania’s unwavering support for Albania’s EU integration process.

“We hope that the EU will decide to hold the First Intergovernmental Conference with our country as soon as possible. However, I assured my colleague Landsbergis that Albania will continue the reforms. A very important topic, on which we exchanged views, was the current security situation in Europe. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and as a co-penholder with the US for Ukraine, Albania has been active and continues to lobby within the Security Council to ensure all the possible support for this issue,” said Chief Diplomat Xhaçka.

Minister Landsbergis pointed out that Albania is pursuing all the necessary reforms to join the EU.

“Certainly we are following the situation in the region and we are seeing that Albania is contributing and acting in accordance with EU principles. I think it is very important to have further progress and together with Northern Macedonia we hope that the integration of Albania in the EU will happen soon,” he said.

At the end of the meeting, the two ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Bilateral Consultations between the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.

Minister Landsbergis’s visit to Albania is part of his regional tour in the Western Balkans. This visit coincides with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Albania and Lithuania.