Foreign Affairs Minister Ditmir Bushati is conducting a visit to Greece. At the first day of his visit, he met with President Prokopios Pavlopoulos, Speaker of the Parliament Nikos Voutsis and his counterpart, Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Kotzias.

Meeting between the two foreign ministers focused on continuing the already started process of addressing inherited issues, no longer taboos, and finding satisfactory solutions to both countries. Current and common future affairs, economic cooperation, developments in the region and European integration of Western Balkans were important topics of their discussion as well. Parties emphasized the importance of continuing the dialogue between the two governments, in the spirit of strengthening confidence and in need to concrete actions to advance towards solutions to bilateral issues.

Both ministers shared the same vision that consolidation of ongoing relations of strategic importance between our two neighboring countries, both NATO members, and closer in view of European perspective, is significant not only at the bilateral level. It also serves to a region determined to look ahead and build, through cooperation, its European future. Minister Bushati praised and thanked Greece for its role and support to the integration process of Albania and the Western Balkan countries.
 
At the meeting with President Pavlopoulos, Minister Bushati underlined the special attention that Albania attaches to strengthening strategic cooperation with Greece as two neighboring and NATO member countries, both with a considerable weight in the region. "Stemming from this perspective, we would like to make further steps forward in addressing some issues of historical background, untreated for decades, in parallel with current events and issues of common future", Minister Bushati said. Following, while addressing bilateral issues, Minister Bushati stated that: “I rely on my full conviction that the Greek party will be advancing on the abrogation of the law of war, to give us the opportunity to close historical issues dating back to Word War II”. President Pavlopoulos expressed willingness to continue to build good relations between our two countries and peoples, to the benefit of the joint Euro-Atlantic future.
 
At the meeting with the Speaker of the Greek Parliament Nikos Voutsis, parties shared the same view on the importance and role that Parliaments can have in deepening and consolidating bilateral relations. In this context, Minister Bushati showed confidence on the Greek Parliament that it will support any legal initiative bound to strengthen bilateral legal framework as a demonstration of the good will of both our peoples. Interlocutors expressed full confidence in developing bilateral relations, to the benefit of our peoples, peace, security and development throughout the region.