Albania country brief

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Albania country brief - bilateral fact sheet [PDF 241 KB]

Key engagement

International organisations, direct aid projects, long-standing people-to-people links.

Bilateral relations

Australia established diplomatic relations with Albania in 1985. We enjoy long-standing people-to-people links, with an Albanian presence in Australia dating back to the late 19th century. Many people of Albanian ethnicity also come from Kosovo, North Macedonia, and elsewhere in the Balkans.

The Australian Ambassador to Italy has non-resident accreditation to Albania. The Albanian embassy in Australia is currently headed by a Chargé d’affaires.

Though direct aid projects, Australia provides development support to local communities in Albania. In recent years Australia has funded projects focused on promoting gender equality and disability inclusion, as well as supporting victims of human trafficking.

Australia sees Albania as a partner in strengthening global security and prosperity. We engage in international organisations on issues of mutual interest. We both participated in the former Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and are members of the Global Coalition against Daesh.

Economic and trade information can be found in the Albania economic factsheet [PDF].

Foreign policy

Achieving membership of the European Union (EU) is a key priority for Albania. In July 2022, the EU commenced accession talks with Albania, eight years after it was granted candidate status. Albania joined NATO in 2009.

Albania is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the term 2022-23. It is committed to supporting the multilateral system and institutions. Albania has been forthright in using its position on the Security Council to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Further information is available at Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

Fast Facts

Albanian visitors to Australia (year ended Sep 2022): 190
Australian visitors to Albania (year ended Sep 2022: 1,170
Resident Australian population born in Albania (2021 census): 3,633
Resident Australian population claiming Albanian ancestry (2021 census): 19,686
International student numbers (2021): 57