Israel and Albania sign aviation agreement as Israeli tourism surges

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Albania’s Infrastructure and Energy Minister, Eneida Kërcaku, signed an advanced aviation cooperation agreement in Tirana on Monday.

The agreement is expected to boost Israeli tourism to Albania and allow the Albanian government to directly contract Israeli companies.

Tourism to Albania has grown exponentially in the past few years, rising from 7,000 in 2023 to over 100,000 in 2026.

During the same visit, Sa'ar met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, calling him a "steadfast friend of Israel, who has stood by our side in challenging times." He also praised Rama for fighting terror and antisemitism globally.

Sa'ar praised Albania's long history of protecting Jews, highlighting in particular that it was the only European country whose Jewish population grew during the Holocaust.