FM Avramopoulos meets with Albanian counterpart Panariti

Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos met on Wednesday with his Albanian counterpart Edmond Panariti in what the two sides called a “productive and constructive atmosphere, based on everything that unite us”.

Both FMs agreed to hold regular meetings twice a year and to recommend to their respective governments an annual inter-state consultation between competent ministers, depending on the issues under discussion.

Speaking to reporters, Avramopoulos underlined a common volition to move forward with preparations for the signing of an agreement for the Turkey-Greece-Albania-Italy (TAP) pipeline, as well as to settle any pending obstacles to finally clear the way for an  agreement delineating EEZ between the two countries in the Ionian.

Reminding that the two countries are NATO allies, future EU partners and neighbors with common interests, Avramopoulos underlined that the ethnic Greek minority in southern Albania will see its position being improved as a result of the progress made by Albania as a whole.

On his part, the Albanian foreign minister expressed a wish that the Tirana will overcome whatever obstacles to implement a bilateral maritime delineation agreement, “in compliance with national constitutions and international law”.
He also thanked his Greek counterpart for the support in the promotion of the TAP natgas pipeline agreement, while citing the value of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania, on the one hand, and the Albanian guest workers and migrants in Greece, which serve as “bridges of friendship” between the two neighbours, as he said.

SOURCE: ATHENS NEWS AGENCY