To meet the growing demand for labor market, the European country Albania has expressed interest in hiring skilled and semi-skilled workers from Bangladesh. He made this proposal during a meeting between Albanian President Bajram Begaz and Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday (September 25).

President Begaz said that Albania currently needs a lot of workers. Several Albanian companies have already submitted applications to hire Bangladeshi workers. He also proposed to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Especially mentioning the possibility of cooperation in the tourism sector, he said that the southern coastline of Albania could be a potential destination for Bangladeshi travelers.

Welcoming the initiative, Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus said that the young and working population of Bangladesh can play an important role in supporting Albania's economic growth. He called for simplifying the visa process for Bangladeshis. Currently, Bangladeshi citizens have to apply for visas in New Delhi, which is creating complications for travelers.

Considering the issue, President Begaz said that Albania is planning to introduce e-visas for Bangladeshi citizens. He emphasized the need for high-level official visits and strengthening institutional cooperation for this purpose.

During the meeting, Expatriate Welfare Advisor Asif Nazrul said that Bangladesh has the capacity to supply a wide range of manpower, from doctors and nurses to factory and agricultural workers. He stressed the need to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further simplify the recruitment process.

In addition, President Begaz announced in the meeting that Albanian universities are ready to welcome Bangladeshi students under the International Enrollment Scheme. Senior Secretary for SDGs Lamia Morshed was also present at the meeting.