Republic of Albania is a small country located in southwestern region of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. The capital of Albania is Tirana, with a population of nearly 727,000 habitants from 3.6 million of the total population in Albania. Tirana is also the financial capital of the country. Free-market reforms opened up the country to foreign investment, especially in development of energy and transportation infrastructure areas. Albania continues to demonstrate potential for economic growth, as a result of new market activity stemming from global cost-cutting trends.

Location: Republic of Albania is located in the southwestern region of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe.

Area: Total area is 28,745 square kilometers. Coastline is 1,094 km long. Land borders: 657 km long. Maritime borders: 316 km long. River borders: 48 km long, and Lacustrine borders: 73 km long.

Land borders: Albania is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast.

Maritime borders: A borderline of 316 km on the Adriatic Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the southwest. Albania is less than 72 km away from Italy, separated by the Otranto Strait, which connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea.

Climate: Albania has typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters in the west of the country and cold winters in the east, and with hot summers.

Population: 4.2 million habitants.

Ethnic groups: 97.9 % Albanian, and 2.1% non Albanians comprised of Greeks, Slavs and Macedonians.

Religion: Several traditional religions”Muslim, Orthodox Christian, Catholic Christian and Bektashi”are currently practiced in Albania.

Politics: Albania has devoted a special and ongoing attention to the strengthening of regional multilateral relations, which is also materialized in the proceedings of several initiatives and regional organizations. The commitment to these initiatives has served the promotion of the relations of good neighborliness, security and stability in the region, the draw of political support for project financing in priority domains of national and regional development. The goal remains the promotion of cohabitation and relations of good neighborliness in the region through the confirmation of the active and moderate role of the country™s foreign policy.

Foreign Trade Policy: Albania was the 138th country to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2000. Since then, Albanian trade policies have undergone radical reforms in many important areas, to better meet and implement the obligations of WTO membership. These reforms included the opening up of the Albanian market, as well as the implementation of other reforms in relation to tariffs and standards.
Albania took after, another big step towards further developing economic cooperation by signing CEFTA 2006 agreement. The overall objective of this agreement is to create a free economic zone in Central European and Western Balkans countries and to achieve full trade liberalization.
Today, the main objective of Albania is its accession to the European Union. Albania is fully committed towards the achievement of this objective including its dialogue with the EU on the progress of reforms, which resulted in the Stabilization and Association Agreement. This agreement entered into force in April 2009..

Location: Republic of Albania is located in the southwestern region of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Area: Total area is 28,745 square kilometers. Coastline is 1,094 km long. Land borders: 657 km long. Maritime borders: 316 km long. River borders: 48 km long, and Lacustrine borders: 73 km long. Land borders: Albania is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. Maritime borders: A borderline of 316 km on the Adriatic Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the southwest. Albania is less than 72 km away from Italy, separated by the Otranto Strait, which connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea. Climate: Albania has typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters in the west of the country and cold winters in the east, and with hot summers. Population: 4.2 million habitants. Ethnic groups: 97.9 % Albanian, and 2.1% non Albanians comprised of Greeks, Slavs and Macedonians. Religion: Several traditional religions”Muslim, Orthodox Christian, Catholic Christian and Bektashi”are currently practiced in Albania. Politics: Albania has devoted a special and ongoing attention to the strengthening of regional multilateral relations, which is also materialized in the proceedings of several initiatives and regional organizations. The commitment to these initiatives has served the promotion of the relations of good neighborliness, security and stability in the region, the draw of political support for project financing in priority domains of national and regional development. The goal remains the promotion of cohabitation and relations of good neighborliness in the region through the confirmation of the active and moderate role of the country™s foreign policy. Foreign Trade Policy: Albania was the 138th country to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2000. Since then, Albanian trade policies have undergone radical reforms in many important areas, to better meet and implement the obligations of WTO membership. These reforms included the opening up of the Albanian market, as well as the implementation of other reforms in relation to tariffs and standards. Albania took after, another big step towards further developing economic cooperation by signing CEFTA 2006 agreement. The overall objective of this agreement is to create a free economic zone in Central European and Western Balkans countries and to achieve full trade liberalization. Today, the main objective of Albania is its accession to the European Union. Albania is fully committed towards the achievement of this objective including its dialogue with the EU on the progress of reforms, which resulted in the Stabilization and Association Agreement. This agreement entered into force in April 2009.