The signing reaffirmed Albania’s commitment to stronger international cooperation in tackling cybercrime, a growing threat to citizens, businesses and public institutions.

The convention provides a framework for enhanced international cooperation, facilitating the sharing of electronic evidence and strengthening collective efforts to prevent, investigate and prosecute serious crimes in the digital sphere.

Foreign Minister Hoxha said that for Albania, building security, resilience and trust in the technology space was an integral part of its broader digital transformation agenda.

“As technology continues to create new opportunities for growth and innovation, we must ensure that our ability to protect those who rely on its potential grows in parallel with these developments,” Hoxha said.

“Albania remains committed to working closely with its international partners to advance these principles and contribute to a safer, more secure and more trusted digital environment for all,” he added.

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The signing of this convention is part of the measures, within the framework of the international project BEPS, i.e. Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, of which Albania has been a part since 2019.

This is to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the economy.

During his speech, Malaj stated that Albania will be able to fulfill its commitments with greater efficiency, given that the main goal of the Convention is to help increase the transparency and integrity of the international tax system.

Albania’s Ministry of Finance will continue to be committed to promoting tax justice, increasing revenues, preventing profit shifting, and ensuring fiscal sustainability, for the benefit of a better business climate. /k.s//a.f//r.e/p.s./

Manja wrote in the social media that, “This is an important step towards building a more reliable and accessible justice system for Albanian citizens and businesses”.

“This achievement significantly reduces the costs and execution time of court decisions, improves the business climate and strengthens international cooperation,” wrote Manja.

The Convention sets a strong foundation for international cooperation and the alignment of Albanian legislation with European Union standards.

As a member of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, Albania is now a party to 17 conventions of this organization, four of which were signed under the chair of Minister of Justice Ulsi Manja, strengthening Albania’s reputation in international justice. /k.s/a.f/p.s./

Albanian Parliament discussed the draft law on ratification of the Hague Choice of Court Convention earlier today.

Justice Minister said that the need to ratify the Convention is related to the indispensability of adopting measures for judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters, with the aim of encouraging and supporting the activity of member states in the field of improving the business climate, commercial relations, as well as encouraging foreign direct investments.

Ratification of the Convention – he went on noting – is also in line with the Albanian government policies aimed providing a well-functioning legal and regulatory framework in this field.

The Convention of 30 June 2005 on Choice of Court Agreements entered into force on October 1, 2005, and is designed to promote international trade and investment through enhanced judicial cooperation, laying down the rules governing the jurisdiction of courts in civil and commercial matters.

“With its ratification, the Convention becomes part of the national legal order and no legal initiatives or changes to the existing legal framework are needed. Ratification also represents a step towards alignment of the country’s legislation with acquis as part of the EU integration process,” Manja said.

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The Convention was signed by the Minister of Justice Ulsi Manja, who is on an official visit to The Hague.

During his stay in The Hague, Justice Minister met with the International Criminal Court (ICC) senior officials.

A day ago, Manja also signed the Protocol on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations in the presence of Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), and Jules van Eijndhoven, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

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The signing of the Convention and the Protocol is an important step for Albania toward strengthening of the domestic legislation in the field of private international law and an additional instrument for the parties in the settlement of civil disputes.

After the signing event, Manja stated that, “The Convention and the Protocol guarantee the universality of international law in domestic law, strengthen legal security for business in international commercial relations, as well as facilitate the process of giving decisions on food obligations, in cases that have to do with children in context of family relations”.

Manja will be in The Hague even on Wednesday as well, where there is expected the signing of another important convention, which will also be accompanied by high-level meetings./p.s./

Attending the meeting, Deputy Minister of Interior Ardi Veliu explained that, “Anti-fouling paints are used to coat the bottoms of ships to prevent sea life such as algae and molluscs attaching themselves to the hull – thereby slowing down the ship and increasing fuel consumption”.

Veliu stressed that, “The Convention prohibits the use of harmful dyes used on ships and establishes a mechanism to prevent the possible use of other harmful substances in the future in anti-pollution systems.”

The draft law is in line with the government’s program, which in the Chapter “Integration in the European Union”, stipulates that the correct implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), fulfilment of the remaining 12 priorities of the Action Plan, are key elements for the quality and speed of Albania’s EU accession process”.

During his speech, Veliu stressed that the Convention establishes a mechanism to prevent the possible use of other harmful substances in the future in anti-pollution systems. /a.a/p.s./

Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro stated that the government approved today the draft law with which Albania becomes a member of the Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics.

“The convention adopted 2 years ago by the United Nations World Tourism Organization is important in the sense that it sets certain standards related to ethics, from tour operators, trade unions, to services provided by member states of this Convention “, she said.

“Of course, we are proud of the high figures of recent years in tourism, but we cannot be satisfied with the quantitative aspect. We need to elevate qualities. And to be a party to this Convention, it is an obligation for all field operators, from the public to the private sector, to respect some standards related to professionalism, but also some other standards that become important in this Covidian period, if I may call it that, and that has damaged the tourism sector a lot, communicating with the same code of norms and standards with other countries, where we send tourists, or from which we receive tourists”, underlined Kumbaro.

“Of course,” said Kumbaro, “That is not enough. After the approval today by the Council of Ministers, we will continue with the presentation of this draft law in the Albanian Parliament, with its ratification to make Albania with full rights, but especially with full obligations, compared to other countries with which we are together in the United Nations World Tourism Organization “./j.p/r.e/p.s./

The Council of Europe Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production (revised) was signed by Albanian Ambassador to the Council of Europe Albana Dautllari and the CoE Deputy Secretary General Bjorn Berge, the Minister of Culture Elva Margariti said Wednesday, underlining that Convention will enter into force after ratification by the country.

Culture Minister hailed the signing as good news for Albanian cinematography.

The Convention provides legal and financial framework for the co-production of feature films involving production companies established in three or more states parties.

Our country becomes the 35th country to sign the Convention.

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The draft law was presented by the General Director of Policies and Development in Infrastructure and Territory at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Eltar Deda.

Deda said that the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as a specialized agency of the United Nations for the life and property safety at sea is the global standard-setting authority for the security and environmental performance of international shipping.

“The set of international standards was initially approved by IMO in 1974 and these standards were changed in 1978, while Albania adhered to the convention in 2004,” Deda said.

“During an auditing activity in 2016, IMO set the condition for Albania to join this protocol. This is also part of the National Transport Strategy,” Deda said.

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