Albania and Israel marked on Thursday the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, established since 19 August 1991. The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs commemorated this date, emphasizing that “although the state of Israel was recognized by the Albanian government in 1949, diplomatic relations between them were made possible only after the fall of the Iron Curtain”.

“The Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations was signed in Tel Aviv on August 19, 1991. There is an even longer common history between our two countries which unites them in a strong bond of friendship,” MEFA recalled.

“Looking to the future, we are confident that we can rely on these solid foundations to further strengthen cooperation and ties between the two peoples,” said the statement.

Albania has been described as “the only European country, of those occupied by the Axis powers of World War II, that emerged from World War II with a larger Jewish population than it had before the Holocaust”.