TIRANA, June 9 /ATA/ – On June 9th, 2026, H.E. Ms. KATO Kikuko, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Albania, on behalf of the Government of Japan, handed over a new backhoe loader amounting to EUR 93,800 to Himara Municipality, in the framework of Japan’s Grant scheme “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)”. This donation will strengthen the capacity of Himara to improve local road maintenance and disaster response capabilities and thereby contribute to safer daily life conditions and greater community resilience. This grant was made possible through the collaboration between AULEDA, an NGO executing community-based projects that promote sustainable socio-economic development in the Vlora region, Himara Municipality and the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Albania. This marks the first development cooperation project between the Embassy of Japan and Himara Municipality.
The handover ceremony was held at the Municipal Hall of Himara in the presence of Ambassador KATO, Mr. Vangjel Tavo, Mayor of Himara, Executive Director of AULEDA, Ms. Mirela Koci, and other representatives from the Municipality. During the ceremony, Ambassador KATO expressed her hope that this grant project would enable Himara Municipality to improve its capacity to manage and maintain local roads, as set out in the Regional Development Plan of the Municipality, and lead to improved administrative services for Himara Municipality’s residents. She also referred that this project aligns with achieving Equitable Growth throughout Albania, one of the priority areas of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Albania. She further hoped that through this grant project the relations between Japan and the Municipality of Himara, as well as Albania would be further strengthened. Mayor Tavo and Ms. Koci expressed their gratitude to the Government and People of Japan as well as Ambassador for their continuous support provided in Albania, underlining the importance of the grant at this time for the Municipality and its residents.
Priority areas of Japan’s ODA in Albania are Environment and Equitable Growth. Since 1998 the Japanese Government has been providing GGP to local governments, public educational or medical institutions, and NGOs in addressing their development needs respectively for the development of Albania./r.e/sm/
