“Today we have opened a call for local governments regarding the disaster prevention infrastructure project for civil protection. This is a very important call, given the significant budgetary support from the Albanian government. We are holding discussions with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that by 2025, all municipalities have a meaningful project in place for civil protection,” emphasized Vengu.

He added that there have been difficulties in planning, financing, and implementation. “At the end of the year, we find ourselves in situations where municipalities have struggled to utilize the funds. Therefore, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the National Agency for Civil Protection, we aim to streamline this process for you. We urge you to prepare your projects so that we can allocate the funds, ensuring that by 2025 you are equipped with all the necessary resources to respond,” said Minister Vengu.

Minister Vengu also emphasized that responsibility lies with local authorities, which must respond promptly and timely in the aftermath of disasters, and in result all structures need to be strengthened. “The novelty this year is our awareness that municipalities have extensive territorial coverage, encompassing both urban and rural areas. However, it is challenging to respond in deep mountainous and densely forested regions. Therefore, there will be a tailored financial package to invest in resources for operations in these remote areas, whether for extinguishing wildfires or creating new access routes,” the minister added.

The head of the National Agency for Civil Protection, Haki Çako, emphasized that this is an extraordinary opportunity provided by the Albanian government to invest in reducing risks and eliminating consequences.

“The Agency is fully prepared to handle documentation from all municipalities, but we want to be better equipped in areas that are categorized as high risk,” Çako stated

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