site.bta Vice President Iliana Iotova Meets with Albanian Parliament Speaker Lindita Nikolla

Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova Friday met with Albanian Parliament Speaker Lindita Nikolla.

At the beginning of the meeting, Iotova thanked Nikolla for the warm welcome and affirmed the very good relationship between Bulgaria and Albania.

For her part, Nikolla said: "I would like to reaffirm our very good and stable relations. They are relevant to the EU perspective and the development of the whole region. They are based on the historical, cultural and human ties between the two peoples. I would like to thank Bulgaria for its support for opening the negotiation process (for Albania's EU membership)."

The Albanian official added that she would like to see the two countries deepen their economic relations.

Iotova and Nikolla held a closed-door meeting, after which the Vice President presented the Albanian Parliament Speaker with a gold statuette in the shape of a rose, saying it is a symbol of Bulgaria, which is known all over the world for its rose oil. Nikolla also received a copy of Assoc. Prof. Spas Tashev's book "The Bulgarians in Albania" in Albanian.

For her part, the Albanian Parliament Speaker presented Iotova with a brooch with traditional Albanian motifs. The officials said it reflects the close ties between the two peoples, which use similar decorative elements.