Albanian Speaker of the Parliament Gramoz Ruçi sent Friday a letter to the Turkish and Greek counterpart as a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook Samos Island and Izmir area around noon.

In his letter to Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Mustafa Åžentop and Speaker of the Greek Parliament Constantine Tassoulas, Ruci expressed solidarity and pain to the affected citizens family members of the victims.

"I was shocked to take the news of the very strong earthquake that hit Samos, Izmir and the surrounding areas at noon today. In these difficult moments, the Parliament of Albania and the entire Albanian people are close to our friend and neighbor peoples, and we express our pain and solidarity with the citizens and family members of the victims.

I am convinced that this strike of nature will not kneel our neighbors, with whom we have shared, share and will share the joys and consequences of disasters", has declared the Albanian Speaker of Parliament.