The National Association of Municipalities of Albania (NAMA) held an official meeting with the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE), confirming the joint commitment to strengthening cooperation between the two organizations and supporting Albania’s European integration process through strengthening local governance.
The meeting took place in Athens and brought together leaders of both associations to discuss common priorities in the field of decentralization, representation of municipal interests, exchange of best practices and strengthening the institutional capacities of local government.
The delegation of NAMA was headed by the Vice President of NAMA and Mayor of Dropull, Mr. Dhimitraq Toli, and consisted of the Mayor of Gjirokastër and member of the EU-Albania Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), Mr. Flamur Golemi, the Executive Director of NAMA, Ms. Adelina Farrici, as well as representatives of the Network of Local Authorities Associations in South-East Europe (NALAS).
The Greek side was represented by the President of KEDE, Mr. Lazaros Kyrizoglou, the Secretary General of KEDE and member of the Joint Consultative Committee for Albania, Mr. Dimitris Kafantaris, the Mayor of Agia Municipality, Mr. Antonios Goudaras, as well as other KEDE representatives.
The discussions focused on the role that national associations of municipalities have in supporting decentralization reforms, strengthening local institutions and preparing municipalities for the European Union accession process. The parties shared experiences on the functioning of their organizations, dialogue with the central government, capacity development and representation of local government interests in policy-making processes.
Particular importance was given to the role of local government in the European integration process, emphasizing that the implementation of the EU acquis and the fulfillment of European standards require strong local institutions, municipalities with developed capacities and sustainable international partnerships.
The meeting confirmed the readiness of SHKBSH and KEDE to deepen cooperation through the exchange of expertise, the organization of joint activities, the support of institutional development processes and the promotion of local government diplomacy as an important instrument in Albania’s rapprochement with the European Union.
“European integration is not only a process of central institutions; it is also built every day at the local level. Municipalities are key actors in the implementation of reforms, the provision of quality services and the approximation of European standards to citizens. Cooperation with KEDE represents an important opportunity to exchange expertise, build capacities and strengthen the role of local government in Albania’s European journey,” said the Executive Director of SHKBSH, Ms. Adelina Farrici.
This meeting marks an important step towards consolidating the partnership between SHKBSH and KEDE, creating new bases for long-term cooperation in the function of developing local government and fulfilling common European objectives.
This activity was held within the framework of the project “Strengthening the National Association of Municipalities”, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Embassy of Switzerland in Albania, with the support of the Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South-East Europe (NALAS).