Azerbaijan and Albania have discussed abolishing their visa requirements, marking a significant step towards strengthening bilateral relations.
Following the discussions of the meeting of the International Relations and Interparliamentary Relations Committee of the Milli Majlis, the committee recommended the bill approving the “Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania on the mutual elimination of visa requirements for holders of national passports” to be presented for consideration at the entire plenary session of the parliament., VisaGuide.World reports.
According to APA news, the draft law will proceed to the entire parliament plenary session for further consideration and approval.
Ministers from Azerbaijan & Albania Seal Economic Cooperation with Intergovernmental Agreement
As previously reported by VisaGuide.World, in March of this year Azerbaijan and Albania officially agreed to eliminate visa requirements for holders of standard international passports.
The Azerbaijani Ambassador to Albania, Anar Huseynov, has highlighted the discussions between Albania’s Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Besart Kadia, and Azerbaijan’s representative. Both sides expressed a strong desire to bolster bilateral relations, with a particular focus on enhancing economic cooperation.
Further strengthening this commitment, Albania’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, held talks with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy, Mikayil Jabbarov.
The discussions revolved around identifying avenues for bilateral economic cooperation. Both ministers signed an Intergovernmental Agreement on Economic Cooperation to solidify their mutual commitment.
Bilateral Relations Boosted After Albanian PM Visited Baku in 2022
Friendly bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Albania are anchored in mutual trust and respect. An obvious peak in this relationship was the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, ‘s official visit to Baku on April 14, 2022. During this visit, energy and tourism were highlighted as key sectors with high potential for deepening cooperation between the two nations.
Moreover, demonstrating Albania’s commitment to fostering stronger ties, the Albanian government took the proactive step of waiving short-stay visas for citizens of Azerbaijan in 2011.
As of April 2024, the Azerbaijani passport is ranked 123rd in the world by the VisaGuide Passport Index. This allows Azerbaijani citizens to visit 37 countries without needing a visa. For other countries, they need to get a visa before traveling.
On the other hand, the Albanian passport is ranked 82nd in the world by the same index. Albanian citizens can travel to 89 countries without a visa. However, Albanians must get a visa in advance for the countries not on this list.