Iran, Albania voice hopes of bolstering relations

The visiting foreign minister of Albania, who is heading a delegation of tradesmen and economic officials to Tehran, met and talked with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday evening.

Bushati offered condolences over demise of Iran’s former president Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and while pointing to Tirana’s eagerness to expand relations with Iran said “presently, proper conditions have been provided for reinvigoration of cooperation with Iran and Albania has accordingly decided to open its embassy in Tehran.”

He deemed economic cooperation as top priority in his country’s approach towards development of ties with Iran and voiced readiness to sign agreement to support joint venture as well as for exemption of double taxation between the two sides.

Ditmir Bushati also called for bolstering of cultural relations between the two countries, offering facilities to holders of diplomatic passports and well as drafting the document for abolition of visas for diplomatic passports.

Iran’s FM Zarif, for his part, appreciated the Albanian official’s sympathizing stating that “several venues exist for expansion and deepening of ties between the two sides in political, cultural and economic arenas.”

Later, the Iranian official pointed to the fact the European countries are suffering from a growth in extremism and expressed Iran’s readiness to boost cooperation between Tehran and Tirana in the fight against extremism and terrorism.

Mohammad Javad Zarif went on to enumerate several other venues for development of relations between the two parties including educational, international, parliamentarian cooperation, trade tourism, collaboration in road construction, railway, oil, gas and energy areas in which Iran holds technology.

At the end of the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for regular political dialogue was inked between Iranian and Albanian foreign ministers.

END