Turkey ends visa fee for Albanians

TIRANA, Oct 20 – Turkey has abolished the fee of 10 Euros per visa for Albanian citizens, following an agreement between the respective foreign ministers Sunday in Tirana.
During the bilateral talks Albanian Foreign Minister Ilir Meta and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu noted with pleasure that the relations between our two countries represent a perfect model of real collaboration and partnership for all the countries in the region and beyond.
“We decided to put an end to the visa fee for Albanians as a gift,” said Davutoglu.
Meta said that removing the fee lifts “a psychological barrier”.
Tirana and Ankara plan to boost economic exchanges and to increase co-operation in tourism, the officials said at a joint press conference.
Davutoglu said the two countries decided to take bilateral relations to the highest level, and to this end agreed to introduce visa exemption, lift entrance fees and exchange diplomats for training purposes.
He said Turkish investments in Albania nearly reached $1 billion, with the trade volume rising and relations developing in areas like tourism, education and culture.
The Turkish Minister said Turkey and Albania had a shared perspective on the Balkans and the Mediterranean and said both countries welcomed the agreement between FYROM and Kosovo.
He said the two countries would continue to work together for lasting peace in the region.
Albanian Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta said Davutoglu’s visit would give a momentum to bilateral relations and with Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s upcoming visit in December relations would further be enhanced.
Davutoglu also met with other top Albanian officials.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha considered this visit rather important and another expression of the brilliant relations that exist between the two governments and countries.
“The Albanian and Turkish peoples have been connected with thousands of links of traditional friendship and feelings of solidarity and we are happy that during the recent years this friendship and these brilliant relations have experienced a further increase and consolidation and have reached the highest levels,” said Berisha.
Further on, PM Berisha expressed gratitude for the great support that Turkey has provided Albania with during all these years and in all the fields.
While sharing the same assessment of PM Berisha, the Turkish Minister Davutoglu said that the bilateral relations are excellent and that Turkey assesses highly the personal contribution of Berisha and his government for the further consolidation of the brilliant and friendly relations between the two countries. He also lauded the Turkish and the Albanian people and their intensification and extension of cooperation in all the fields between the two countries to the benefit of the well-being and prosperity of the two peoples.
During the meeting the fact that the Turkish investments in Albania have experienced an extraordinary increase during the last 4 year mandate of the Berisha government from about $50 million prior to this mandate to the current $1 billion. Some of the biggest and most serious Turkish companies have recorded success stories in Albania.
Berisha and the Turkish minister expressed the determination of the two governments to extend the cooperation even further in all the fields and especially in tourism, education, transport etc.
An important topic during their discussion was the deepening of cooperation between the two foreign ministries in both the bilateral level and in the regional and international one, particularly in the framework of NATO and European Union integration.
Davutoglu was in Tirana on Sunday following his earlier visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, reflecting Turkey’s intense interest in the region, an interest which is being further cemented by Ankara’s ongoing chairmanship-in-office of the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP).