Greek deputy Foreign Minister Theodoros Kassimis, on a visit to Albania, met on Thursday evening with Albanian prime minister Sali Berisha, and on Friday morning with labor, social issues and equal opportunity minister Koco Barka, who is of Greek descent, shortly before leaving Tirana to tour Greek minority villages.

   Kassimis was greeted on arrival Thursday by Berisha and representatives of the state and political leadership, at the start of his four-day visit to Albania, in a climate of enthusiasm over the invitation to the country to join NATO extended at the recent Alliance summit in Bucharest.

   During their meeting, Berisha thanked the Greek government for its assistance to Albania and ifor undertaking the publication of text books for the Greek minority schools, and pledged that dialogue would begin soon on replacing/amending the geography and history books taught in Albanian schools, which have been deemed unacceptable by Greece, stressing that "education must help us look to the future rather than the past".

   He also expressed appreciation for Greece's contribution to the Sagiada-Konispol-Sarande Corridor road project, which is co-funded by the Hellenic Plan for the Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans (HiPERB), under which nearly 50 million euros are earmarked for Albania, of which some 30 million are set out for the Corridor project.

   Berisha further asked Kassimis to convey to Greek prime minister Costas Karamanlis an invitation to pay a formal visit to Albania.

   Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Albanian prime minister said that Kassimis' visit, which came on the heels of "the successful visit of foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis" provided an opportunity for a constructive and friendly discussion on further development of bilateral relations in all sectors -- economic, political, cultural -- and more particularly in the sectors of education and health.

   He also expressed satisfaction with "the progress in our bilareral relations also in matters concerning both the Greek minority in Albania and the Albanian economic immigrants in Greece", adding that the "we will, as friends, jointly continue this progress in the future".

   Speaking in turn, Kassimis said that it had been ascertained once again that the two governments reflect the desire of their two peoples for a common future, adding that one of the top items of discussion had been the strengthening of the education activity of the Greek minority in Albania and "we noted with pleasure that a solution of the few problems of the past has already been set in motion, so that, unhampered by the past, we can head together to an optimistic and auspicious future".

   He said they had also discussed Albania's EU aspirations.

   Kassimis also met Thursday with education and science minister Genc Pollo, with whom an agreement was reached to move ahead with an inventory of the infrastructure needs of minority schools so that improvements can be made with Greece's assistance, and with Speaker of the Albanian Parliament Jozefina Topalli, who stressed that the goal of the country's parliament is to develop closer ties with the Hellenic Parliament and, in that framework, asked Kassimis to convey an invitation to Greek Parliament president Dimitris Sioufas to visit Albania.

   The Greek deputy foreign minister also had talks with his Albanian counterpart Edith Harxhi, in which both sides noted the progress in bilateral relations.

   Kassimis' last meeting on the first day of his visit to Albania took place at the offices of the Unity for Human Rights Party (PBDNj), with chairman Vangjel Dule and the party's council. Note was taken of the problems being faced by the minority, the activities and initiatives of which Greece will be supportive in the areas of education, health and infrastructure. Kassimis expressed the belief that the contribution of the Greek minority and PBDN to Albania's progress is very important to the development and future of the country, and he did not hide his satisfaction at the significant steps that have been taken to protect the rights of the Greek minority.

   Dule thanked the Greek government for its ongoing interest in the future of the Greek minority, for its undivided support for Albania and the vision of Albania's incorporation into the Euro-Atlantic structures, as well as for the constant effort being made by Greece to strengthen stability, peace and prosperity in the Balkan region

   "Greece's role in Albania is of particular importance because public opinion here monitors Greek initiatives with very close interest," Dule said following the meeting.

   Kassimis further visited the seat of the Holy Archdiocese of Albania and gave a welcome speech at the opening of an exhibition of Byzantine icons from Korca at the National Gallery in Tirana. The restoration of the icons was carried out by the Byzantine Culture Museum and European Centre for Byzantine and post-Byzantine Monuments, in Thessaloniki, in collaboration with the National Museum of Medieval Art in Korca.

   On Friday morning, Kassimis met with labor minister Barka, for an exchange of views on prospects of strengthening the Albanian economy.

   "We will begin talks concerning the reinforcement of Professional Orientation Centers, particularly in the field of tourism, which is a highly promising sector for the development of southern Albania," said Kassimis after the meeting.

   Barka expressed his appreciation to the Greek government for its support to Albania stressing that "Greece always stands by us, especially in difficult times". He also referred to the cooperation between the Albanian labor ministry and Greek employment ministry, noting that very soon a wider cooperation protocol in all sectors will be signed.

   Kassimis will carry out a tour of minority villages, including Narta, Himara, Sarande, Livadeia, Mesopotamo, Bouliarati, Dervitsani and Korca, before leaving to return to Athens on Sunday.

   Caption:Greek deputy Foreign Minister Theodoros Kassimis(R) and Albanian President Sali Berisha in Tirana on Thursday 10 April 2008.ANA-MPA/STR