Turkey and Albania on Monday signed seven agreements to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama took part in the signing ceremony of agreements in various fields, including disaster and emergency management, media, state archives, culture and art, security, youth and sports.
A media cooperation agreement has been signed between Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s main news source, and Albanian Telegraph Agency, Albania’s official multimedia news agency.
The agreement was signed by Anadolu Agency Director General Serdar Karagoz and Valbona Zhupa, his counterpart from the Albanian Telegraph Agency.
The ceremony took place before a joint press conference between Erdogan and Rama following individual and delegation meetings.
Speaking on the agreement, Karagoz said on Twitter: “I believe the agreement will further improve cooperation between our agencies and contribute to the correct transfer of information between the two countries.”
Zhupa also shared his thoughts on Twitter, saying, “The renewal of the cooperation agreement between @ATAgoval and our Turkish counterpart @anadoluagency reaffirms the continued collaboration and information sharing between our two countries.”
Erdogan arrived in the capital Tirana on Monday morning and was welcomed by Rama in an official ceremony.
Earlier on Monday, Erdogan attended a handover ceremony for more than 500 homes built by a Turkish agency for the victims of the earthquake in Albania.
Erdogan is visiting at the invitation of the Albanian Prime Minister and is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum, Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu and Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
During his visit, all aspects of the strategic partnership between Turkey and Albania and measures to enhance bilateral cooperation are expected to be discussed.
Erdogan will also inaugurate the historic 18th-century Hajji Et’hem Bey Mosque in the capital Tirana, which was recently restored by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
*Written by Zehra Nur Duz and Merve Berker in Ankara
