Speaking at a public consultation on the proposed administrative-territorial reform in the south-eastern Albania city of Korçë, Rama said the changes were intended to strengthen local government capacity and improve the delivery of services.

He said a proposed merger of Maliq and Korçë into a larger municipality could create new opportunities for sustainable economic and social development, including access to additional categories of EU funding.

“Larger administrative units open the possibility of accessing another category of European Union funds and attracting more investment to the territory,” Rama said.

The reform, he added, was aimed at strengthening local administrative capacity, expanding financing opportunities and creating the conditions for longer-term development.

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At a regular meeting on Monday, the Council of Ministers endorsed a financing agreement between Albania and the European Commission for the 2024 Annual Action Plan under IPA III.

The agreement approved by the government secures EU funds to drive institutional reform and infrastructure investment, bolstering Albania’s bid for EU membership.

The IPA is an EU-funded instrument dedicated to Western Balkan countries, designed to help candidate and potential candidate countries carry out the political, institutional, legal, administrative, social, and economic reforms necessary to advance toward EU membership.

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