Albania

Political relations

Bilateral relations with Albania are excellent. France supports closer relations between Albania and Europe, and is assisting in the democratization process and long-term stabilization. There is a continued, confident high-level political dialogue between the two countries. Albanian elites are often Francophile and Francophone.

Visits

• 14 June 2019: Mr Gent Cakaj, Acting Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, met with Ms Amélie de Montchalin, French Minister of State for European Affairs, during a visit to France.
• 4-7 May 2019: Ms Etilda Gjonaj, Albanian Minister of Justice, met with her French counterpart, Ms Nicole Belloubet, during a visit to France.
• 26 March 2019: Mr Sandër Lleshaj, Albanian Minister of the Interior, met with his French counterpart, Mr Christophe Castaner, during a visit to France.
• 11 December 2018: Mr Ditmir Bushati, Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Ms Rovena Voda, Deputy Albanian Minister of the Interior, took part in a ministerial meeting in Paris to discuss the fight against firearms trafficking in the Western Balkans.
• 11 November 2018: Mr Ilir Meta, the President of Albania, took part in the 11 November commemorations.
• 25 May 2018: Mr Ditmir Bushati, Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, met with Ms Nathalie Loiseau, French Minister for European Affairs, during a visit to France.
• 15 May 2018: Mr Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania, met with the French President during a visit to France.
• 15 December 2017: Mr Gérard Collomb, French Ministre d’État and Minister of the Interior, visited Albania.
• 20 July 2017: Mr Ditmir Bushati, Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Ms Rovena Voda, Deputy Albanian Minister of the Interior, visited France.
• 28 February 2017: Mr Bruno Le Roux, French Minister of the Interior, visited Albania.

Information on bilateral visits: https://al.ambafrance.org/-Visites-bilaterales-

Economic relations

Trade between France and Albania is limited, but has grown in recent years, increasing from €27 million in 2005 to €150 million in 2018. France has had a trade deficit with Albania since 2012. In 2018, it stood at €26 million. French exports to Albania totalled €62 million in 2018, while French imports from Albania amounted to €88 million.

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

French cooperation efforts in Albania centre on the French embassy’s Cooperation and Cultural Action Service (SCAC), four archaeological missions in the country, and a network of five Alliance Française offices, which have three branches in major cities. Albania stands out as a beacon for Francophonie in the region: French is the second most-taught foreign language in the school system, and the SCAC has strong ties to a network of French teachers and around twenty bilingual sections in high schools. Bilateral cooperation focuses on the following areas: consolidating the position of the French language and accompanying Albania towards closer relations with Europe through institutional cooperation focused on strengthening the rule of law and the training of elites.

Other cooperation

In 2012, the French embassy supported the creation of the French International School of Tirana. It was approved by the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) in June 2013.

^{Updated: 17.07.19}