Ambassador of Albania to the Netherlands Artur Kuko accompanied Gjylameti on this visit.

We leveraged innovation, digitalization and smart data to streamline workflows and integrate processes.

During the discussions, Gjylameti focused on issues of importance for strengthening the food safety system in Albania, including procedures for the establishment and operation of laboratories, the management of Border Inspection Posts, the use of the RASFF system, as well as the practices of official controls, audits and sampling.

We introduced a new categorization process for FBOs handling animal origin products to align the industry with European standards. Additionally, the new scoring system was highlighted as a tool to drive transparency, accountability, and rigorous food safety.

This cooperation represents an important step towards the exchange of best European experiences and the strengthening of institutional capacities in function of consumer protection and guaranteeing food safety. /k.s/j.p/p.s./

The donation is in context of the close cooperation between the State Police and Dutch law enforcement agencies.

The vehicles were delivered by the Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana Asli Cetinel and by the Director General of Transport and Services at the Ministry of Security and Justice.

During the ceremony, Director of the Department for Border and Migration stated that combating illegal migration is a priority for the Police structures because this phenomenon constitutes not only a burden on the social systems of the countries where it is present, but also a real concern for the security of the community.

Sajmir Muçaj also stated that cooperation with international partners has been vital for strengthening capacities against this criminal activity. Further on, he emphasized that today’s donation, in addition to strengthening the capacities of the Border Police with vehicles with security elements, is above all an expression of cooperation and mutual trust.

Meanwhile, the Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana emphasized that migration constitutes one of the greatest challenges of the time, the fight against which requires strong institutions and close international cooperation.

Also, Cetinel emphasized that the cooperation between Albania and the Netherlands represents a concrete example of partnership and shared responsibility in addressing irregular migration and the fight against human trafficking. Further on, she assessed that there has been achieved significant progress in strengthening security and border management through police cooperation, information exchange and joint operational actions.

The two donated vehicles will be put into operation for the work of the Closed Center for Foreigners, in the Department for Border and Migration. /p.s./

The meeting underscored bilateral cooperation and information-sharing.

Dutch embassy also said that the Netherlands will continue to help strengthen Albania’s border control through targeted capacity-building.

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The conference takes place from March 25 to 28.

Dumani also had a meeting on the sidelines of the conference with John Lucas, Chief Prosecutor of the National Prosecutors Office of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Dutch Prosecutor’s Office reported that it is proud to have welcomed to this special event on behalf of Albania, Altin Dumani, Head of the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime – SPAK.

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Tirana said today that the event was opened by Minister of Security and Justice of the Netherlands, Mr. David van Weel.

The conference aims to strengthen and coordinate our joint efforts in fighting serious organized crime and to share joined perspectives.

“Organized drug trafficking and illegal money laundering do not stop at borders, and neither does the Netherlands’ approach to combating these issues”, the Dutch embassy emphasized. /a.f/p.s./

In a statement on Thursday, Dutch Embassy said that the Netherlands continues supporting SPAK through MATRA Program, and announced a second project, due to be implemented by CILC.

The Embassy said that the project will focus on providing enhanced support in financial investigations and sharing Dutch expertise to further complement SPAK’s established practices.

“The Netherlands, through the MATRA Program, is pleased to continue supporting SPAK in its efforts to strengthen the Rule of Law. We are happy to announce the launch of our second project – implemented by CILC – focused on providing enhanced support in financial investigations and sharing Dutch expertise to further complement SPAK’s established practices. We recognize and appreciate the outstanding work SPAK has accomplished, and with two ongoing projects, we remain committed to further strengthening our partnership,” the Embassy of the Netherlands said.

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Israeli ambassador Peleg spoke about the latest security developments in the region and thanked Albania for the support.

The minister assured the ambassador that Albania, also because of the special historical relations it has with the Israeli people, is closely following the security situation and reconfirmed the stance expressed by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on behalf of Albania. Vengu also said that the human lives are dear and there should be done the utmost to save the human lives.

During the meeting, the interlocutors talked on deepening of bilateral cooperation in areas such as: innovation, cyber protection, maritime security and human resource management, encouraging the respective staffs to exchange and share best practices between them.

While during the meeting with the Dutch Ambassador Ernest Noorman, Vengu talked about some cyber security matters.

Ambassador Norman briefed the minister on the organizational and command structure his country has set up to address cyber defense issues at the national level.

Minister Vengu thanked the ambassador for the assistance provided by the Netherlands in the field of Cyber ​​Defense and encouraged the intensification of the exchange of information and experience at the expert level. /p.s./

The installation Thinking of You is created by the artist Alketa Xhafa Mripa, working in close collaboration with the Mukwege Foundation, the Embassy of Kosovo in the Netherlands and the city of The Hague, is conceived to pay homage to survivors of sexual violence in Kosovo war and conflicts around the world.

The installation features dresses and skirts from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence committed during war in Kosovo and 19 other countries around the world.

Thinking of You has become a global symbol of remembrance and solidarity with survivors of sexual violence, but it also symbolizes the incredible strength and courage demonstrated by sexual violence victims.

Two survivors of sexual violence in Kosovo, Vasfije Krasniqi dhe Shyhrete Tahiri, attended the inauguration ceremony of the public art installation. Their presence became the voice of many victims calling for justice to be done for the crimes committed by the Serbian state.

Pristina Mayor noted that the event is taking place in The Hague, celebrated as the international city of peace and justice, and as such there is no better place to present this exhibition.

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Dutch Ambassador to Albania, Reinout Vos, Deputy Finance and Economy Minister Endrit Yzeiraj, representatives of the Dutch representatives of Dutch associations and businesses in the field of livestock breeding, as well as Albanian animal breeders and experts attended the forum, with discussions focusing on the potentials of cooperation to further develop livestock farming according to the best international practices.

The Deputy Agriculture Minister Civici praised the economic cooperation between the two countries and voiced confidence that the business forum will help to further strengthen bilateral economic ties and cooperation in agriculture and the dairy sector in particular, capitalizing on the experience of the Netherlands in this area.

“The participating Dutch and Albanian companies came together to explore new cooperation opportunities, especially in the dairy sector,” Civici said.

In his remarks at the business forum, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development highlighted Albanian government’s commitment and investment projects devised to support development of agricultural economy and creation of an attractive environment for foreign investments.

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Gani Ziu from the village of Samatica in Berat said that he has prepared the first shipment of prickly cucumbers for export to the Netherlands.

He said that all the production in the 5-dynym greenhouse that he planted with cucumber is destined for export to the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic.

“I produce only for export. After 2 weeks, I will start harvesting tomatoes in the other greenhouse that I have on an area of 5 dynyms and then with the potatoes that I have planted on another 5 dynyms of land. The production is very good and we have it certified according to the standards required by the foreign market and I have all the production for export”, said Ziu.

He is also satisfied with the market price and intends to expand the activity with new greenhouses on leased land.

The young man from Samatica expressed his satisfaction that he has set up his successful enterprise in agriculture and he also positively assessed the support he has received from the National Scheme and tax-free oil, which have helped him reduce production costs and expand the planted areas./p.s./

Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku, and the Minister of Economy and Finance Delina Ibrahimaj, today held a conversation with Dutch business representatives operating in Albania, as well as other investors interested in expanding their activity in Albania.

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PM Edi Rama: I am privileged to be here with you and I would like to thank you so much for taking the time and the trouble to join us here w and share a few moments with us. Although it may seem very distant geographically, the Netherlands is pretty present in Albania.

I am very happy and honored to see Francine Houben here, who is one of the pioneers of this relationship, because she was among the first from this country to offer a very valuable contribution through her extraordinary talent and her design and architecture studio for our country.

It is also our pleasure and privilege that SHELL corporation is operating in our country, which is actually the opposite end of Francine and the architects for many reasons.

Like every good Dutchman, they are reluctant to talk about figures for now but all the signs indicate that we are about to make a very important onshore discovery of gas and oil that will not only greatly affect the future of our country, but it will also play a role in Europe’s energy future in the current circumstances and situation.

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I do not want to presuppose that there are no corruption practices and that there is no bureaucracy. Corruption and bureaucracy are existent, but the change is really, really profound and we have already transited to a situation where all our public services, at least 95% of them,  are delivered online only.

So I am really confident that we are on the right track. Of course, there is still a lot to be done, but I strongly believe that time is high for more people to come and invest, as Delina said, and it is not just related to Albania.

It is certainly a small market. For SHELL this is related to the discovery of gas and oil. For Royal Haskoning it is about the design of a new port, for architects it is about the design of new addresses and maybe the size of the market doesn’t matter a lot, but the size of the market on the other hand is very important and it is precisely this we are doing through the Open Balkans initiative as we are expanding the market and providing a completely barrier-free transport in this market that extends beyond a population of 3 million to a region of around 20 million people.

– I am not speaking in my capacity as a politician or the head of the government. I speak wholeheartedly about work in Albania, not from the head but from the heart. I love the country, I have been living there for two years and from my point of view as a legal expert I want to add to the question of political stability the question “whether a foreign investor can rely on an impartial and independent judiciary.” I am doing this because I have been working side by side with the institutions for two years and there is no other place in the world – and I have been working for a long time abroad – that has accepted and implemented a system where there is a reform in justice that re-evaluates all incumbent judges. Albania has delivered on it and I think there is a lot of work to be done, but there is no other country in the world that has accepted such a thing and, in my view, I can tell you that it has a fairly modern legal system, which is reliable, impartial and independent.

PM Edi Rama: Thank you for these words, but I would say that our justice system has yet to move to where it should be as there are still problems, but what you are saying is related to what I said before, that when it comes to foreign investors, more attention and care is definitely attached so that investors encounter no troubles. This is not exactly the case when it comes to local investors, it is less so to date, as we are very good at hurting ourselves, but when it comes to foreigners it is what you said. You are right and I thank you for these words because they are helpful and coming from a witness, but we are not yet where we need to be.

We have launched an essential state-building reform in the sense of the democratic process of state-building, and the vetting overhauled the entire justice system. The question that remains is; yes, we removed almost 60% of the existing judges, but 60% of vacant positions is not something really easy to deal with and to replace them not only with judges with integrity, but also with capacity, because both capable and honest judges are needed. Employing competent but dishonest people is a problem. However, employing honest but incompetent people is also a problem. So the new judges should meet these two qualities and this is not easy.

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