Today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Janez Janša, met the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Mr Sali Berisha, who is on his first official visit to Slovenia. The Prime Ministers agreed that twenty years of diplomatic relations have developed good, friendly relations in political, cultural and economic fields.

At a joint press conference, the Slovenian Prime Minister, Mr Janez Janša, stressed that the conditions for intensive cooperation between the two countries have strengthened of late, primarily due to the liberalisation of the Albanian visa regime. He used this opportunity to congratulate the Albanian prime minister on adopting this important measure for all citizens as a step towards joining the European Union. The speakers agreed that it is in the best interests of both countries for Albania to join the European Union. The Slovenian Prime Minister also remarked that Albania has a great advantage and that most of its citizens support EU accession. The Albanian Prime Minister used the opportunity to express gratitude for all the support and aid that Slovenia has offered to the Republic of Albania in its European integration process. He added that joining the European Union is the biggest Albanian project, and this will remain the focus all of Albania’s efforts.

The prime ministers also spoke of current relations in the Western Balkans. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša stressed that the two countries share the same opinion of the current relations in the region and that continued dialogue and the endeavour to join European organisations is the only road to development in the region. To this end, he spoke highly of the process and reforms in Albania, as they require wide social consensus. He added that it is also necessary to regulate the immunity issue in accordance with European standards. The Slovenian Prime Minister described Albania as a constructive partner in providing stability in the Western Balkans, adding that the Albanian contributions to the Presidency of the Council of Europe, based on the integration of cultural diversity, have been very positive.

The speakers went on to agree that there is still a great deal of untapped potential in the field of economic cooperation. They both see further opportunities primarily in the energy and tourism sectors, as the current level of trade is relatively low. The Slovenian Prime Minister noted that cooperation will improve with each step that Albania takes towards joining the European Union. The Albanian Prime Minister noted that his country would strive to create favourable conditions for Slovenian companies and investments in the Albanian market.

Prime Minister Janša, furthermore congratulated the Albanian Prime Minister on this year's celebration of the 100th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Albania. The Albanian Prime Minister likewise congratulated Slovenia on the country’s 20th anniversary of independence and commended Slovenia’s success in joining all the major European organisations.