SPEECH BY H.E. THE PRESIDENT OF ALBANIA AT STATE DINNER ON THE OCCASION OF THE STATE VISIT OF H.E. THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA – THE PALACE, VALLETTA – MONDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 2002

Excellency Prof. Guido de Marco,

Madame de Marco,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a special pleasure for me today to be for the first time in your wonderful country which is so rich in historic traditions and with an accomplished coexistence and interconnection of cultures, ethnic groups and religions.

This visit of mine which comes after the very successful visit of President de Marco in my country last year is a clear testimony of the common will that the relations of cooperation between us reach a higher stage in the interest of our two countries.

Malta and Albania have in common not only the geographic coincidences or historic elements, but what is more important, they share the same perspectives of cooperation and visions, both as Mediterranean countries and as European countries with high integrating aspirations in the great family of the nations of Euro-Atlantic space.

Both countries are currently committed to the process rapprochement to the European Union, and you are in a very advanced stage, indeed it is in the threshold of becoming a member of the EU. In this respect, the experience of Malta in approaching to the legislation and preparation of the country to be accepted in the EU would be another reason of cooperation of great interest for Albania.

I express my conviction that the signing tomorrow of the Agreement for the Lifting of the Visa Regime for holders of diplomatic passports and particularly the signing of the Agreement for the Fight against Drug Trafficking and Organised Crime, not only constitutes another moment of the affirmation of the positive political will of our two countries, but it will also create in continuity the necessary institutional spaces for the bilateral cooperation, which along with the gradual accomplishment of the legal framework of our relations with the signature of other agreements under way such as the Agreement on the Protection and Promotion of Investments< on Economic Cooperation and the Treaty of Friendship, will find more dynamic and effective forms in our joint efforts to institutionalising these relations. In this optic, the presence and the experience of the Maltese investors would be welcomed in Albania, particularly in the field of tourism and maritime transport, having into consideration the numerous and partially used potentialities in these fields.

I thank you for the warm and friendly reception you have reserved to me in this visit and express my wish that these visits and meetings be followed by many others in order to create a much wider basis to the relations between our two countries.

I raise this toast to your Health, Dear President de Marco and to your Lady.