The italian Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Francesco Lollobrigida was yesterday engaged in a visit to Tirana. The objective of the trip is "the prospects for agricultural cooperation and Italian support for the agricultural modernization needs of Albania", reads a note from Masaf. Lollobrigida met his Albanian counterpart Frida Krifca, together with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Edmondo Cirielli, and a delegation of representatives of institutions, trade associations and companies. "Our common goal is to create deep and lasting relations between Italy and Albania: a synergy for new growth opportunities in the agri-food sector", commented the italian minister in a tweet on the occasion of his meeting with his Albanian colleague .

At the end of the meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed on cooperation in the agriculture, fisheries and food processing sectors between the two nations. In the afternoon Lollobrigida went to the port of Durres to visit the "Border Inspection Point", the Safial Project financed by the Italian Cooperation and implemented by Cieheam for the control and inspection of agri-food and fishery products transiting Albania by sea. Among the associative delegations following the Italian minister, Confagricoltura should be noted, whose president Massimiliano Giansanti has assured the Albanians "support for the sector in the field of training, nursery gardening, social agriculture and digitization". Furthermore, in the role of first vice president of Copa, Giansanti undertook to report today's discussions to the president of the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organizations, Christiane Lambert, in order to start a collaboration also at the community level.

Copagri was also present at the Albanian mission, whose president Tommaso Battista underlines: "With over 200 million euros of exports of agri-food products in 2022, a figure which has been significantly and steadily increasing for several years now, Albania confirms itself as a point of reference very important for the trade of our country, which in the past year has also once again established itself as the first commercial partner of the country of the eagles”.

“Italian companies - added the president of Copagri - are ready to continue cooperation with the Albanian ones on numerous fronts, such as for example the training of farmers, with particular reference to good agricultural practices that guarantee product quality, while ensuring food safety and the protection of the territory”.