Enhancing trade and economic cooperation, accelerating ongoing joint projects, advancing road, railroad and energy infrastructure and investment activities between Macedonia and Albania were the focal point of a meeting held Friday in Tirana between countries' economy ministers - Valon Saracini and Nasip Naco.

At the meeting, minister Saracini suggested expert teams to be established enabling Macedonia and Albania to share information, thus paving the way a meeting of the first mixed committee to be held in early 2012 following the 1998 Business Cooperation Agreement.

"In the past several months since assuming the office, I have focused my international activities on countries in the region, because I think that heightened economic cooperation is the future of the region. Increased collaboration will also contribute to cutting down mounting import from European countries," Saracini said.

He presented Macedonia's investment benefits as well as ongoing energy projects, including the concessions for small hydropower plants and the international tender for Cebren and Galiste plants.

Considering the construction of a 400-kilowatt interconnection transmission line between Bitola and Elbasan, minister Saracini said that the European Investment Bank was expected to approve Euro 16.7 million to be used by Macedonia for its construction.

Albanian minister Naco presented the new law on foreign investments under which investments over 10 million euro are protected in Albania.

He called on Macedonian firms to take part at ongoing tenders in Albania for energy projects.

"The CEFTA treaty enables all trade barriers to be lifted and such cooperation is expected to be resumed in the future between countries in the region. Albania takes over the CEFTA chairmanship in 2012 and we are fully determined to play a role in strengthening mutual cooperation," he noted.

Thus far, Albanian businessmen have shown interest in investing in construction, insurance, hotel management and agriculture in Macedonia.