Published 18/11/2015
Philip Hammond is urging more action from Albania to curb organised
crime and people trafficking on a short visit to the Balkan state.
The Foreign Secretary is to hold talks with prime minister Edi Rama
as well as the country's foreign and interior ministers in an effort to
strengthen co-operation between London and Tirana.
There are also major concerns about people smuggling via the country - with charity Barnardo's recently warning of an alarming rise in the number of Albanian children being held as sex slaves in Britain.
Mr Hammond's meetings - en route to a visit to Cyprus to discuss progress on the island's reconciliation talks - also form part of a wider push to boost relations with Balkan states and "strengthen the stability and security in our backyard", the Foreign Office said.
Albania is seeking European Union membership - and was granted candidate status in 2014 - and Mr Hammond would "be pressing for further reform to support UK security priorities and meet EU standards", they said.
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