British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to arrive in Tirana this evening for a landmark visit that will culminate tomorrow with the signing of the Albania–United Kingdom Strategic Partnership Agreement alongside Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. According to diplomatic sources, the agreement will be formalized following a bilateral meeting and announced publicly during a joint press conference at 12:40 PM on Thursday.
This agreement marks a continuation and deepening of the Rama–Sunak pact signed at 10 Downing Street in March 2023, now expanded into a broader framework of cooperation built on four main pillars:
- Economic growth and employment
- Business development and economic collaboration
- Enhanced cooperation in the field of security
- Migration, justice, and internal affairs
Starmer’s visit is the first by a British Prime Minister to Albania since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1921. It is expected to strengthen Albania’s role as a key partner for the United Kingdom in the Western Balkans, with Tirana positioning itself as an emerging hub for regional and international cooperation in critical sectors such as security and migration management.
Against the backdrop of shifting global dynamics, this agreement stands not only as a diplomatic milestone but as a powerful political statement about the shared strategic direction of both nations—committed to stability, prosperity, and mutual trust.