BEIJING, June 21. /Dunyo IA/.  Ambassador of Albania to China Riza Poda, shared his perspective with Dunyo Information Agency regarding the 5^th Tashkent International Investment Forum, held in the capital of Uzbekistan from June 16^th to 18^th:

-  I sincerely welcome the beginning of a new historical stage in the dynamics of relations between Albania and Uzbekistan. Cooperation between our countries, which had previously developed relatively slowly, has received a new impetus following the 5^th Tashkent International Investment Forum.

Undoubtedly, the organization of the visit of the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, to Uzbekistan was made possible by the welcoming, open-door policy announced by the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The success of the reforms initiated by the leader of Uzbekistan, alongside the implementation of the “Uzbekistan – 2030” Strategy, is gaining broad international recognition, including within European nations. As a result, a new edition of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between Uzbekistan and the European Union was signed last year.

As anticipated in Tirana, the inaugural summit between the Presidents of Uzbekistan and Albania immediately defined new, promising vectors of cooperation, including the establishment of an Intergovernmental Commission tasked with driving engagement in trade, industrial localization, agriculture, “green” energy, and tourism.

Concurrently, utilizing the Albanian Port of Durrës as a logistics hub will grant wide access for Uzbek manufactured goods to the markets of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. In turn, Uzbekistan can serve as the primary gateway for Albanian products entering the Central Asian marketplace.

A key element of the visit is the participation of Bajram Begaj in the work of the 5th Tashkent International Investment Forum. The simultaneous arrival of a number of other high-ranking foreign delegations at this event clearly speaks to the growing authority of TIIF. Without exaggeration, the Albanian side gained a comprehensive understanding of the investment and economic potential of Uzbekistan. This will undoubtedly have a positive impact on attracting the attention of Albania's business circles and on increasing mutual trade turnover.