Latvia has inspired Albania on its path to EU - Albanian president

RIGA - Latvia's reforms and successes have inspired Albania's aspirations to accede to the European Union (EU), Albanian President Bajram Begaj said at a news conference after a meeting with Latvian President Edgars Rinkvics.

Begaj noted that this year marks 96 years since Latvia established diplomatic relations with Albania.

The Albanian president is confident that today's meeting will have a positive impact on bilateral economic and tourism cooperation, among other sectors. He is pleased that Latvia has been steadfast in its position on Albania's path towards the EU and that cooperation between the two countries is expanding year by year.

Begaj also believes that Latvia and Albania should expand cooperation in the field of transport so that tourism flows between the countries continue to grow.

Rinkevičs expressed Latvia's interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation and thanked Albania for its involvement in strengthening the security of Latvia and the Baltic region.

The Latvian president expressed support for Albania's EU integration process and called for further reforms, stressing that EU candidate countries should fulfil the set criteria, while the EU should fulfil its promises once the requirements of the candidate countries have been met.