It is a great pleasure to be in Nicosia today, on my first official visit to beautiful and sunny Cyprus.

I would like to sincerely thank my colleague, Minister Constantinos Kombos, for his warm hospitality and for the very constructive discussions we just had.

Thank you, Minister, dear Costantinos, for arranging this visit during this very busy period, and during this particularly busy month. It means a lot.

This visit carries particular significance, as it coincides with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Albania and Cyprus. This occasion provides me also with the distinct pleasure – despite the still few days remaining – of celebrating together the success of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of this year.

I am here today to reaffirm the strength of our partnership, built upon a shared commitment to enhanced cooperation and sustained, constructive political dialogue at every level.

We have agreed to intensify our high-level exchanges and further deepen our cooperation, for the benefit of our peoples and countries, and to safeguard and promote the European values that we collectively uphold.

I warmly congratulated Cyprus on the excellent work accomplished during these six months, presiding over the Council of the European Union.

At a time of heightened global uncertainty and growing security challenges, Cyprus has steered an ambitious agenda aimed at strengthening a more resilient, autonomous and forward-looking European Union that remains open and engaged with the world.

It cannot be overstated how important it has been for Albania to witness Cyprus’s unwavering commitment to keeping enlargement at the heart of its Presidency agenda, recognizing it as a strategic investment in the European Union’s long-term peace, stability, and prosperity.

We have also greatly valued the Presidency’s steadfast adherence to a merit-based approach, ensuring that progress and reforms are duly recognized and rewarded.

In this regard, Cyprus’s leadership and support have been of particular importance to Albania’s EU accession path.

Last month, Albania achieved one of the most significant milestones in this process. At the 8th Intergovernmental Conference, convened under the Cyprus Presidency, it was formally acknowledged that Albania has met the interim benchmarks under Cluster 1 – Fundamentals.

This landmark accomplishment validates more than a decade of ambitious reforms and sustained progress, demonstrating Albania’s determination, credibility, and preparedness to move decisively forward on its path towards European Union membership.

This also marked the beginning of the next crucial phase of the accession process, the closing of negotiating chapters, further reinforcing our ambition to conclude accession negotiations by 2027, with the ultimate objective of achieving full European Union membership by 2030. We know that serious work is underway including these days, and we cannot thank you enough for such effort.

We reviewed the current stage of relations and agreed to explore ways of expanding cooperation across all areas of mutual interest, in particular, tourism, energy, technology, agriculture and services.

We also agreed to seek ways to further enhance cooperation between business communities and institutions, exploring opportunities for partnerships and investment. In this respect, closer cooperation between our respective investment promotion agencies, AIDA and Invest Cyprus is particularly important.

We look forward to the start of the direct Nicosia–Tirana flight connection, which will contribute in bringing our two countries and people closer together, facilitating tourism, business interaction and people-to-people contacts.

We also exchanged views on developments in the Western Balkans. I underscored the strategic importance of advancing the European perspective of the region, particularly in the context of today’s increasingly complex geopolitical environment. A more united, secure, and resilient Europe requires the full integration of the Western Balkans into the European family, as an investment in the continent’s long-term stability, prosperity, and security.

Regarding Kosovo, I reiterated our position that recognition of Kosovo’s independence by those European countries that have not yet done so goes beyond the aspect of a bilateral issue. It is increasingly linked to the security and stability of our common European space and represents an important step in preventing destabilizing external influences in the region.

We exchanged views on regional and international developments, with particular focus on European security and the wider Mediterranean region. Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine continues to pose a serious challenge to European security and the international rules-based order. I reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

As regards the developments in the Middle East, in line with the European Union’s position, Albania supports all efforts aimed at reviving a credible political process that can pave the way towards a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace, based on the two-state solution.

We welcomed the ongoing diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran and expressed hope that the current efforts will lead to a constructive outcome, contributing to regional stability, de-escalation, and the peaceful resolution of outstanding issues through dialogue and diplomacy.

We firmly believe that dialogue, mutual respect, international law and peaceful settlement of disputes remain the only viable path forward in addressing all outstanding issues.

In this regard, it is essential that Mediterranean countries strengthen coordination on collective security, energy security, migration management and the resilience of critical infrastructure. Enhanced cooperation in these areas will contribute not only to the stability of our region, but also to the security and prosperity of Europe as a whole.

Let me end by thanking you once again, Minister and dear Constantinos, for today’s fruitful discussions and for Cyprus’ continued friendship and support.

Thank you.