Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül joined his Albanian counterpart Besnik Mustafaj at a Türkiye-Albania business council meeting in Tirana in February 2007, telling assembled businesspeople from both nations that bilateral relations were strong but that economic cooperation had room to grow.
Gül urged the rapid conclusion of a free trade agreement between the two countries, saying the Turkish parliament could ratify such a deal within two to three weeks. He noted that while business leaders had a key role in deepening economic ties, certain steps required action at the government level first.
Mustafaj said Albania was eager to attract foreign investment and pointed to Türkiye as a model, citing its ability to issue investment licenses within a week and its success in cutting through bureaucratic obstacles and curbing corruption.
On the margins of the visit, Gül also held separate meetings with Albanian President Alfred Moisiu and parliamentary speaker Jozefina Topalli.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in February 2007, in its own words.