Albanian President Ilir Meta met in Tirana with the Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, ethnic Albanian Dritan Abazovic.
Meta called on the guest for “wider involvement and fairer representation” of Albanians in state and local institutions in Montenegro, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
In a conversation with Abazovic, Meta paid special attention to specific projects to support the areas inhabited by Albanians in Montenegro, resolving the issue of citizenship of Albanian citizens married to Montenegrin citizens, as well as the employment of Albanians in this country.
The Albanian head of state expressed a desire for closer cooperation than what currently exists between the two countries. At the same time, she called the main goal of further deepening relations in all areas “improving the relationship between citizens on both sides of the border.” Many experts interpreted the last words as strengthening communication between the Albanians of Albania and Montenegro.
Meta also called on the guest to contribute in every possible way to “wider involvement and fairer representation” of Albanians at different levels of Montenegrin government.
The joint statement by Ilir Meta and Dritan Abazoic emphasizes that the NATO partnership should contribute to strengthening and bringing closer relations between Albania and Montenegro. At the same time, the governments of both countries “are well positioned to shape this cooperation in accordance with the best values of the Alliance.”
According to the 2011 census, Albanians make up about 5% of the population of Montenegro.