[Provisional translation]
On May 22, commencing at 4:10 p.m. for approximately 25 minutes, Ms. TAKAICHI Sanae, Prime Minister of Japan, held a summit meeting with H.E. Mr. Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania, who is visiting Japan.
- At the outset, Prime Minister TAKAICHI welcomed Prime Minister Rama on the occasion of his second visit to Japan since 2023, and stated that Albania, as a NATO member state, is an important partner sharing values and principles, and that Japan will continue to support Albania's socio-economic reforms and its EU accession under the "Western Balkans Cooperation Initiative", which was announced in 2018. She also emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in a wide range of fields, including the updated "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)", given that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions has become increasingly inseparable.
- In response, Prime Minister Rama expressed his gratitude for Japan’s hospitality ("omotenashi") shown during his visit to Japan and stated that the two countries share common values and principles, that the updated FOIP is timely, and that Albania supports Japan’s effort. He also expressed his gratitude for Japan's continued support through the "Western Balkans Cooperation Initiative", and conveyed his desire to further strengthen the bilateral relationship in areas such as economy and people-to-people exchanges.
- Furthermore, the two leaders exchanged views on the situation in the Indo-Pacific and in Ukraine. They concurred to cooperate closely in responding to regional affairs.