Albanian deputy premier in rare visit to Serbia

Ties between the two countries have been strained since Belgrade broke diplomatic relations with Tirana in 1999.

BELGRADE, March 10, 2010 (AFP) - Albanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta is to visit Serbia, the first high-level contact between Tirana and Belgrade in over five years, Serbian officials said Wednesday.

Ties between the two countries have been strained since Belgrade broke diplomatic relations with Tirana in 1999 over Albania's support for ethnic Albanians in Kosovo during the 1998-1999 conflict there.

Following the fall of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic's regime, diplomatic relations were re-established in January 2001.

Meta is on Thursday to meet with Serbian President Boris Tadic, said a presidency statement, as well as with Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic.

"The goal of this visit is improving relations between the two states, stability of the region and integration of the countries in the region into the European Union," Meta's cabinet chief Sokol Dervishaj told AFP in Tirana.

In 2004, then-foreign minister Vuk Draskovic paid an official visit to Albania, the first by a senior Serb official since 1948.

The two Balkan states had almost no contact under communism due to Albania's self-isolation under the dictatorial regime of Enver Hoxha.

Albanian then-foreign minister Kastriot Islami paid a return visit to Belgrade in May 2005.