President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Albania Bajram Begaj have held an expanded meeting.

Greeting the guests, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Mr. President, dear guests, welcome once again. I’m very glad to have an opportunity to host Mr. President on an official visit. First of all, I would like to express gratitude for hospitality during my official visit to Albania last year. I’m glad that we have established very close friendly relations, and high-level political dialogue between our countries has a very good dynamism. Of course, it is an important factor to strengthen relations between our countries, which I would name them excellent and which is reflected in mutual support in international institutions and also a lot of practical activity on the ground with respect to issues of energy and economic development.

We have already exchanged views with you on bilateral agenda, on regional issues, on issues related to security and cooperation. Now in the presence of delegations, we will continue our dialogue.

I’m really very glad that now Albania and Azerbaijan work as close friends and brothers, and the prospects for our cooperation are really very bright. Because there is a very solid foundation, which is our friendship and mutual interests and a very clear vision for the future of how to move forward our bilateral ties and how to strengthen cooperation. Of course, an important factor as a basis for cooperation was issues related to energy development, and we already touched on that and will continue during the delegation’s meeting. Because we have more plans in that respect, which have been discussed with you during my official visit and with other officials from Albania.

So, once again, Mr. President, welcome to Azerbaijan.

President Bajram Begaj said:

- Honorable President, dear friend.

It's a great pleasure for me to meet you today here in the great and beautiful city of Baku. At the same time, I want to express to you my heartfelt thanks for very warm and friendly hospitality you extended to me and to my delegation. I'm convinced that intensity of our meetings reaffirm again our commitment and common will to boost our relations between the two countries, which under the spirit of fraternal friendship and cooperation have been experiencing dynamic development in recent years both in political and economic fields. As you said, we have excellent relationship, and we have to work to make excellent economical relation. I'd like to appreciate your personal contribution and commitment to this new page of history of relations between the two countries. This year we celebrate the 30-year anniversary of our diplomatic relationship.

Once again, thank you so much.