The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, highlighting opportunities for concrete projects. Key discussions included the donation of 10 electric buses to local government, an initiative that advances sustainable transport and upgrades public services for citizens.

Ms. Cano stressed that SASPAC will keep driving cooperation, turning international partnerships into real projects that benefit local communities.

On her part, Ambassador Pang Chunxue reaffirmed her commitment to deepening diplomatic ties through expanded dialogue and new investment opportunities. /p.s./

Minister of Education Mirela Kumbaro stated in a post on social networks that the investment was made in cooperation between the government and Shkodra municipality, creating a new space for sports and physical activity of students.

“Their sports, energy and passion will have more space to develop,” appreciated Kumbaro, emphasizing the significance of creating modern environments in educational institutions.

The gym will not only serve during school hours. After school, the facilities will continue to be open for sports activities and for the community, turning the school into a lively and functional space even beyond the teaching process.

The investment in the “28 Nëntori” gym is part of the program to improve sports infrastructure and create better conditions for students, promoting physical activity and community involvement in school life. /p.s./

Prime Minister Edi Rama shared in the social media a view of this bridge that serves the local community of this area.

“By linking the neighborhood to the rest of Lower Ibë village, the new bridge has brought safe connectivity and greater opportunities to the neighborhood, easing movement for residents of all ages”, emphasized Rama.

The former pedestrian footbridge has been replaced by a modern structure featuring traffic lanes, sidewalks, lighting, and 100 meters of upgraded connecting roads.

The new bridge has enhanced local connectivity, providing safer, faster transit for vehicles and pedestrians, while upgrading infrastructure with improved lighting and night-time navigation. /k.s/j.p/p.s./

“It is a very good cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and international partners, in partnership with municipalities, which enables the provision of social services and support closer to the community, where the need is, where the people are”, said Minister Sala.

The minister also stated that the expansion of the social services map will continue this year, with a focus on covering the needs missing in the territory for the most vulnerable groups.

The new Community Center in Divjaka offers specialized rehabilitation and development services for children with disabilities aged 3 to 18, as well as social care for elderly women and other groups in need. These services are provided by a multidisciplinary team composed of psychologists, social workers, speech therapists and physiotherapists.

This center has been established within the framework of phase II of the Joint United Nations Programme “Leaving No One Behind” (LNB), which is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women, in close cooperation with the Albanian Government. /m.m/j.p/p.s./

In a reaction in the social media, Rama stated that Judge Ligoraq Toshi, “did not find it necessary to be in favor of the community trapped by this unauthorized construction”.

The prime minister emphasized that the name of this judge will also be added to the file that the Ministry of Justice will forward to the bodies of control and self-government of the judiciary, while he requested that the affected citizens should also join their complaints to these bodies.

Rama took the opportunity also to respond to those who consider his reactions as “pressure on the judiciary”, while assuring that “we will no longer remain silent, nor will we stop addressing cases of abuse to the relevant bodies which the Constitution and the law also charge with protecting the interests of the people and the state”.

Rama confirmed his unwavering stance in support of justice and its institutions, in the fight against corruption, organized crime, and human rights and freedoms. /p.s./

In a post in the social media, Begaj shared footage from his visit to Calabria

Begaj thanked everyone who contributes to inheriting this extraordinary wealth of humanity.

“Thank you to everyone who contributes to inheriting this extraordinary wealth of humanity!”, Begaj wrote.

In Calabria, Begaj met with the Arbëresh community of the region in the municipalities of: Andali, Marceduza, Cervicati, Mongrassano, Platacci, Santa Caterina Albanese Frascineto, San Demetrio Corone, San Benedetto Ullano, San Cosmo Albanese, Castroregio and Cerzeto.

President Begaj considered the Arbëresh community in Italy as a bridge between Albania and Italy, between the past and the future, between identity and the full integration of our society.

During his meetings with the Arbëreshi people, the president encouraged the transmission of family stories inherited from generation to generation to keep this unique cultural wealth alive.

While highlighting important figures of Arbëresh literature, culture and politics, the president stated that he appreciates the Arbëreshi people as the best guardians of the spirit of identity, language, culture and religious rites.

President Begaj also focused on the joint commitment of the institutions of both countries to present to UNESCO the “Great Year” file, a way of protecting this cultural and linguistic wealth and preserving religious rites, along with colorful and vibrant costumes as intangible heritage of humanity.

In these communities, which are an integral part of Italian life, but with a deep sense of Albanian belonging, the president invited that this special spiritual relationship should materialize with strengthening of economic relations, trade exchanges and cooperation between Calabria Region and various regions in Albania.

After this visit, under the auspices of the president, three Arbëresh municipalities will have in their squares the symbol of Arbëresh strength: the busts of our National Hero, George Kastrioti Skanderbeg.

From these squares, President Begaj expressed his conviction that the European vision of Albanians is the right path that strengthens and develops us. /gj.m/a.f/p.s./

The administrators of the buildings, elected by the residents and certified by the municipality, are the ones who carry out the procedures, after receiving the consent of at least 75% of the apartment block residents. Thus, they benefit from the municipality’s community fund that pays for a part of the works while the rest is paid by the residents themselves.

Last year, the municipality changed the rules, which allow special treatment for some categories.

“Thus, the pensioners, persons with disabilities or those living with economic assistance benefit 100 percent the grant from the community fund. This has brought about an increase of the number of applications for the current year. For this year alone, there are 84 applications, among them 43 are winners”, said Aurel Çuko.

According to the director of co-ownership in the municipality of Tirana, these interventions increase the value of the property.

“This kind of work has made the property value increase by 20-30 percent. Thanks to the cappotto system, there has been reduced the electricity bill of the residents, which means return on the investment”, stated Çuko.

In 7 years, the community fund, worth 100 million new Lekë per year, has supported 174 projects./k.s/p.s./

Appreciating the contribution of the Muslim Community, President Begaj said that, “In these 100 years of its activity, the Muslim Community has proven that service to the nation and faith are a value and a mission”.

“Everyone who knows the history of the Albanian Muslim Community is touched by the essence and patriotic character that lies at the core of the formation of this institution. Today, there is the occasion to recall the fact that religious communities, among them the Islamic Community of Albania, are important contributors to the Independence of Albania and a consolidating stone of the Albanian state”, said the Head of State.

Begaj expressed full confidence that today’s Albanian Muslim clerics, as well as those of other communities, as spiritual leaders, will continue to work together, to inspire Albanians, to engage together, regardless of religious belief, for the progress and prosperity of the country, for the well-being of our common home, Albania.

“I want to assure you that in the quality of the President of the Republic: I will continue to be a strong partner of yours and of the believers of every faith; I will continue to be a supporter and defender of freedom of belief; promoter of religious harmony and coexistence as a national value”, concluded Begaj./gj.m/p.s./

Head of the Albanian Development Fund Dritan Agolli said that, during 2022 alone, there have been carried out, or are in the process more than 222 interventions in the territory, from Vermoshi to Konispol.

Meanwhile, the Albanian Development Fund, said Agolli, is programming the interventions for the period 2023-2027.

Prime Minister Edi Rama said that interventions in the territory by the Albanian Development Fund improve the lives of communities, strengthen services, tourism and rural development, and increase the economy.

“222 interventions in the territory from the Albanian Development Fund, completed in 2022 or in the process for 2023, which improve the lives of communities, strengthen services, tourism and rural development, increase the economy – less words and even more work and contact with people who work and have work to solve”, he said./p.s./

Full article:

The Continent must shape its own future, and the only way to do so is by working together as democratic members of the European family.

As Russia launched its brutal invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Europe suddenly awoke realizing peace on the Continent is not guaranteed. This unprecedented and unjustified war is an attack on the international legal order, and as such, it constitutes a threat to our own freedom and security.

With this war, Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped to sow division between the countries of Europe, but in fact, he achieved the opposite. We stand united — not just the members of the European Union, but all European countries.

We will do everything in our power to help Ukraine regain its full sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we will support its reconstruction. But the fact is that Russia’s unprovoked aggression also forces us all to rethink some fundamentals about this Continent we all share, and how to best protect our democracy and common values. The need for a strong, ongoing, united European response is self-evident.

That is why we fully support French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal for a European Political Community (EPC).

The EPC should be a place where all democratic European countries can discuss common concerns and challenges, and devise solutions. It should be driven not by bureaucracy but by flexibility. It should be guided not by fixed agendas but by priorities that concern us all — including the war in Ukraine, energy dependence and food security.

We need a platform that doesn’t overlap with the strong regional organizations we already have in Europe or supplant the well-structured process of EU accession for candidate countries. The EPC should be a workspace where we can meet and do business, whether an EU member or not.

We are very much looking forward to our first meeting in the beautiful city of Prague on October 6. And we strongly believe there’s an important and ambitious agenda to discuss right from the start.

For one, we see great potential for expanding and integrating our Continent’s energy and transport networks; and in the EPC, we can discuss how to work toward an interconnected and climate-neutral energy system in Europe. Prioritizing investment in European energy production will further help to ensure full independence from Russian energy exports, while all European countries should, of course, work to address the rise in energy prices in the short term.

At the same time, the climate crisis remains one of the biggest challenges we face — we can see this every day across our Continent. As such, we must coordinate, including to advance the ambition expressed at Glasgow’s COP26 on financing developing countries’ climate adaptation.

Another major challenge is cybersecurity. All our countries face cyber threats, and we should increase our collective cyber resilience by working together to secure our institutions and networks.

Beyond these challenges, we must also invest in a positive agenda for our common future.

First and foremost, this means investing in our youth. Therefore, we should discuss pan-European higher education, research and innovation capabilities, competitiveness and sustainability — and we must do so sooner rather than later. We must continue to promote exchanges involving young people and cooperation between universities, and we can use the EPC to share best practices in this area.

Finally, we should also discuss how to improve intra-European trade. We need a robust framework for economic growth and social convergence for all parts of Europe. It’s crucial that we support regional and subregional economic cooperation initiatives and invest in regional transport and trade connectivity.

The EPC presents us with a critical opportunity to face our shared challenges head on. Europe must shape its own future, and the only way to do so is to work together as democratic members of the European family. Working together makes us stronger, safer and more prosperous. So, in Prague, let us establish a forum that’s inclusive and effective.