The President of the Republic, Ilir Meta, received today the Minister of State and Minister of Interior of the French Republic, Gérard Collomb. President Meta welcomed the visit of Minister Collomb to Tirana and considered it a clear expression of the common will to further strengthen and intensify cooperation in the field of security and internal affairs.

Meta praised the very good, traditional relations of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries and expressed confidence that this partnership will deepen at all levels of cooperation.

Specifically, the President focused on the fight against organized crime and terrorism, pointing out that Albanian and French law enforcement agencies should better co-operate and co-ordinate to effectively crack down on criminal groups operating in both countries.

Successful cooperation in this direction would strengthen the rule of law in Albania and bring more country closer to the European Union – President Meta highlighted.

Both interlocutors praised the progress made in preventing the phenomenon of illegal migration and asylum seekers from Albania, and shared the same view that this spirit of cooperation should continue in the future.

The President also paid special attention to France’s increasingly devoting attention to the Western Balkans region and Mediterranean cooperation, and welcomed French initiatives for a greater presence in Albania and the region./tvklan.al