Bulgarian, Albanian leaders call for improving infrastructure, business cooperation

SOFIA, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and his visiting Albanian counterpart Bujar Nishani on Tuesday called for improving transport and energy connectivity, and expanding business cooperation between the two countries. Bulgaria and Albania want to have a direct highway, rail line and airline linking the two countries. The nations are not direct neighbors but the distance that separates them is only 300 km, Plevneliev told a joint press conference after bilateral talks. "We would also like to have a gas link and a common energy network in terms of supply of electricity," Plevneliev said.

Currently, a gas link between Albania, Montenegro and Serbia is under construction, he said. Bulgaria would make a serious effort to join it because the country has traditionally exported electricity to countries in the region, Plevneliev added. 

Albania is also a prospective Bulgaria's partner in trade and investment, with bilateral turnover amounting to 80 million euros (90 million U.S. dollars) last year, and a seven-fold increase in the number of Bulgarian tourists were visiting Albania in the period over 2013, Plevneliev said. In turn, Nishani said there are many areas of mutual interest, and the two governments have to create the necessary environment for business development, particularly for Bulgarian business in Albania.