Press release
LJUBLJANA/TIRANA, 25 March 2022 – President of the Republic of Albania Ilir Meta received Director of the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES[1]) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zijad Bećirović. They discussed the current war situation in Ukraine and its impact on the region and beyond.
During the conversation, President Meta stressed that the opening of European Union membership negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia as soon as possible, as well as visa liberalization for Kosovo and its membership in NATO and the EU, would bring concrete and very positive contributions for the consolidation of peace, stability and security in the region, as well as for the prosperity of Albanian citizens.
President also stressed that respecting the aspirations of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina for NATO and EU membership is legitimate and maximally serves peace, stability and security not only in the region, but also beyond.
Director of IFIMES Dr. Bećirović thanked the president for presenting his views and stressed the importance of Albanian activities on its European path and in the process of re-democratization.
At the end of the conversation he invited the President Meta to have a lecture at the institute soon which President Meta gladly accepted.
Ljubljana/Tirana, 25 March 2022
[1] IFIMES - International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has Special Consultative status at ECOSOC/UN, New York, since 2018.
