Poland’s Andrzej Duda was hosted by Albania’s Bajram Begaj in Tirana on Thursday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Poland supports Albania’s EU bid
At a joint news conference after the talks, the Polish president said: “It is my hope that Albania will soon become a member of the European Union. Poland supports Albania’s aspirations to join the European community. My two-day visit in Tirana is proof of this support.”
Duda said that Poland’s presidency of the EU in the first half of 2025 would focus on priority issues including “extending the bloc to include Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkan countries, among them Albania.”
The Polish president voiced hope that his visit would foster “dynamic cooperation” between Poland and Albania.
He said: “The key thing is for Albania to work with EU member states when it comes to infrastructural development, as it proceeds towards EU membership. We wish to cooperate in this regard.”
Duda warned “it would be wrong” for any EU member state to “blackmail” fellow EU countries and candidate countries by threatening to block enlargement unless its demands were met.
He added that the EU had been founded on the principle of “brotherly cooperation” between member states, designed to help guarantee peace in Europe and facilitate economic development.
Duda told reporters in Tirana that this principle of “brotherly cooperation” meant “EU member countries making decisions jointly in the most important matters and regarding the bloc’s development,” so that “some countries do not enforce their interests at the expense of others.”
'Unequivocal support' for Ukraine
Duda and Begaj also discussed the upcoming summit of the NATO alliance in Vilnius, Lithuania, according to officials.
The Polish head of state said: “I asked President Begaj for Albania to support our efforts to strengthen NATO’s presence on its eastern flank. It’s the most neuralgic and dangerous part of the world today, where potential aggression remains a possibility, especially in view of what is happening in Ukraine and of Russia’s actions.”
Meanwhile, Albania’s Begaj thanked Duda for Poland’s support on his country’s path to EU membership, as well as for assistance in dealing with the consequences of the 2019 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, and spoke of Albania’s “unequivocal support” for Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression, the PAP news agency reported.
The Albanian president praised “very good and friendly” political relations between Poland and Albania and asked for Poland’s support for “Kosovo’s aspirations to join NATO,” according to PAP.
Talks in Tirana
Duda and Begaj met at Tirana’s presidential palace, accompanied by Poland's First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda and Albania's Armanda Ymeri, news outlets reported.
The presidents held a private meeting before chairing wider talks between Polish and Albanian officials, Duda’s office said.
Later in the day, the Polish president also met with parliamentary Speaker Lindita Nikolla to discuss support for Albania’s EU bid, the PAP news agency reported.
Duda then held talks with Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama on Tirana's EU aspirations, business ties and tourism, according to officials.
In the afternoon, the Polish and Albanian presidents attended a Business Roundtable with entrepreneurs and business leaders from both countries, the PAP news agency reported.
Thursday is day 442 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: PAP, prezydent.pl, dorzeczy.pl
Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Agnieszka Bielawska.