His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania, on Wednesday received Albanian President Bujar Nishani at Al Husseiniya Palace.

King Abdullah stressed Jordan’s keenness to boost bilateral relations and sustain joint coordination over various international and regional issues.

During bilateral talks followed by expanded discussions attended by senior officials from both countries, His Majesty welcomed the president on his first visit to the Kingdom, stressing the importance of building on the outcome of this visit and on the royal visit to Albania in May 2015, to develop economic, commercial and cultural cooperation.

The discussions covered cooperation in the fields of tourism, agriculture and ICT.

The two sides discussed sharing Jordanian expertise to develop Albanian human resources and computerising the health sector, copying Jordan’s experience in the “Hakim” programme.

Talks also addressed the developments in the Middle East and the endeavours to enhance security and stability, with the two sides asserting the importance of confronting terrorism in a comprehensive strategy with its ideological and security dimensions.

The two leaders stressed the need to enhance cooperation among Muslim countries to highlight the true image of Islam, focusing on the values of moderation and tolerance and renouncing all forms of terrorism and extremism.

On the Syrian crisis, the King and the Albanian president reiterated the need for a political solution that ends the suffering of Syrians and safeguards regional security.

For his part, Nishani said his country recognises Jordan’s “vital role” in regional and international issues, in addition to its security, stability and strategic location.

His Majesty hosted a lunch banquet in honour of the president and the accompanying guests.