ISTANBUL 

Azerbaijani and Albanian presidents discussed bilateral ties and expanding cooperation between the two countries during a meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, on Sunday.

“The decisions we have taken to strengthen our cooperation really demonstrate that there is a very high level of friendship and fraternal relations between our countries,” Ilham Aliyev said ahead of his one-on-one meeting with Albanian’s visiting leader, Bajram Begaj, according to a statement by the Azerbaijani presidency.

Aliyev also thanked Begaj for his participation in the three-day Global Baku Forum, which ended on Saturday, touting their meeting as “a great opportunity to touch on the important points of our fruitful bilateral cooperation.”

For his part, Begaj recalled his meeting with Aliyev in the Albanian capital Tirana in November 2022, and said they must work to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in the fields of economy and tourism.

“We have the Trans-Adriatic pipeline and we need to do more to gasify the whole country,” Begaj said, adding: “Especially now, at a time when the energy issue is very important. Gas is also very important. We are very happy and fortunate that you have made such a commitment and that we have earned your friendship.”

The Azerbaijani statement also noted that the leaders appreciated the cooperation and mutual support between their countries as part of international organizations.

“During the conversation, they exchanged views on cooperation in the energy field and expanding economic and trade relations. The establishment of Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Albania and Albania’s diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan was described as a positive step in developing bilateral ties,” it added.​​​​​​​