Foreign minister urges Albania’s Euro-Atlantic integration

Budapest, June 21 (MTI) – Hungary supports Albania’s Euro-Atlantic integration and has urged the European Commission to make a proposition for accession talks with that country, the Hungarian foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Peace and stability in the western Balkans is a “strategic and national security priority” for Hungary, Péter Szijjártó told a press conference after talks with his Albanian counterpart Ditmir Bushati. The simplest way to achieve stability is for these countries to join the European Union and NATO.

The talks also covered the link between immigration and terrorism, Szijjártó said. He argued that the current migration wave had been partly triggered by terrorist organisations gaining ground, while migration provides an opportunity for terrorists to smuggle themselves into Europe.

Szijjártó urged cooperation with countries in north Africa and in the Middle East to set up migrant hotspots and reduce the number of migrants to a minimum.

Hungary and Albania have no open issues in their diplomatic ties, while the turnover of bilateral trade grew by 16 percent last year and by 25 percent in the first quarter of 2016, Szijjarto said. He pointed to opportunities for further development, and said that Hungary’s Eximbank has set up a credit line of 208 million euros to promote cooperation between Hungarian and Albanian businesses. He also noted the upcoming launch of a direct flight linking Budapest and Tirana.

Ditmir Bushati, the Albanian minister, spoke highly of bilateral political ties, adding that there were many opportunities to increase economic cooperation. He also thanked Hungary for its support in his country’s endeavours to join the EU.

Photo: MTI

Source: mtva.hu