Albania and Switzerland are commited to advance relationships and expand areas of cooperation. This commitment was confirmed today by Prime Minister Edi Rama and President of the Confederation Doris Leuthard at a meeting in Bern, where Prime Minister Rama is on an official visit.

President Leuthard noted that this first visit by an Albanian Prime Minister to Switzerland since the 90s is very useful for the further development of relations between the two countries. President Leuthard praised the reforms the Albanian government has undertaken and accomplished in these three years, especially justice reform which she considered very important. President Leuthard noted also the importance and the constructive role of Albania in the region.

“This is the first time after 25 years that the head of the Albanian government has paid an official visit to Switzerland. I want to congratulate the Prime Minister of Albania and his government on the reforms undertaken in the last three years, especially on justice reform and its implementation which is very important for Switzerland, but I think also for the EU integration process. It is difficult to implement all these reforms, but you have the support of Switzerland in helping and advising you. Mr Prime Minister, I thank you and your delegation for this visit. I guarantee you that we will continue to support Albania on its path of reforms and improvement of the quality of life”, President Leuthard said in a press release after the meeting with Prime Minister Rama.

Prime Minister Rama expressed gratitude to President Leuthard for the ever-present contribution that Switzerland has given Albania, and especially for the support given in the past three years, particularly for the successful accomplishment of the administrative and territorial reform. The Prime Minister pointed out that justice reform, starting with the vetting, is strategic and has a multiple importance for the rule of law, economic growth and employment increase.

Another topic of this meeting was the progress of the bilateral cooperation and its advancement in areas of particular interest for the country such as energy, tourism and vocational education.

“What I want to underline is our gratitude towards your country and your government for being very helpful and for assisting us throughout these years, especially in the last three years, where you played a major role in assisting us in the historic reform of local government and territorial administration. I am also very grateful for what Switzerland has done regionally, and for the attention and will to do more. I appreciate everything has been discussed and done in these years, but today I want to underline that I appreciate very much your blunt pronunciation both in our meeting and before the press with regard to the strategic importance of the implementation of justice reform, starting with the Vetting law as a tool to improve our economy, as a tool to improve the figures related to FDIs, and as a tool to pave the way to employment growth in order to create a better future”, Prime Minister Rama said.  

At the end of the meeting, two cooperation agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Rama and President Leuthard, the agreement in the field of vocational education and the agreement on regional development.

The Prime Minister was accompanied in this visit by the Minister of Education Lindita Nikolla, the Minister of Social Welfare and Youth Olta Xhaxhçka, the Minister of Urban Development Englantina Gjermeni, and the mayor of Durres Vangjush Dako.

Prime Minister Rama had a meeting also with the President of the National Council, Jürg Stahl.