Qubad Talabani, Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), met with Albanian ministers to discuss forming a joint working group aimed at boosting bilateral ties in trade, tourism, and technology.

Talabani arrived in Albania on Monday and met with Edi Rama, after the Albanian Prime Minister extended an invitation for the meeting during the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece on April 22.

Direct Flights, Joint Working Group for Trade and Tech

After Rama's meeting, Talabani held talks with the Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, and both sides agreed to “form a joint working group of experts from both sides to lay the groundwork for building relations in tourism and trade.”

The two sides also agreed to coordinate the exchange of expertise in institutional digitalization and the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into public services.

The Kurdish and Albanian officials also discussed the importance of launching a direct flight route between Sulaymaniyah and Tirana to foster tourism, cultural, and commercial ties.

Talabani and Albanian PM Emphasize Private Sector Ties

During the earlier meeting with Edi Rama, both parties emphasized joint cooperation to foster direct connections between their private sectors, focusing particularly on tourism and investment.

Talabani also praised Albania's progress in infrastructure development, tourism growth, and technology integration to create a favorable investment climate.