The second field visit of the Practitioners’ Network for European Development Cooperation (https://www.dev-practitioners.eu/), currently chaired by Expertise France, took place in Tirana, Albania, on March 26th and 27th. The purpose of the visit was to facilitate the exchange of experiences among partner countries and network members, sharing best practices and challenges arising from the joint implementation of initiatives funded by European funds.
The event was attended by the PN Focal Point of the AICS Office in Rome, Giacomo Pides, and the AICS Office in Tirana, represented by the Head and Deputy Head, as well as two experts involved in the direct implementation of two EU-funded initiatives, Angelica Ranieli (Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans – CC4WBs) and Giovanni Timillero (EU4Nature).
Thanks to the sessions on the first day, which were also attended by representatives from the local National Agency for Strategic Programs and Aid Coordination (SASPAC) and the Office of Prime Minister E. Rama, the visit proved to be a valuable opportunity for PN members to better understand the activities of their counterparts in the country and the Western Balkans region, as well as to gather insights to better align their interventions with local strategic priorities.
On the second day, dedicated to the Green Agenda and sustainable connectivity, AICS presented the EU4Nature project, jointly implemented by the Agency and UNDP and funded by the European Union and co-financed by SIDA, which aims at contributing to the efficient management of protected areas, as well as to the establishment of new protected areas in Albania. Following this and presentations by other agencies, participants engaged in a debate on strategies to promote the Team Europe approach, in the spirit of the “Working Better Together” principle and within the framework of the accession process of Western Balkan countries to the European Union.
At the conclusion of the consultative sessions, the PN, in coordination with the responsible members, organized the visits to the Multi-Functional Center of Kamza, to the Polis University of Tirana, and to the Jeronim De Rada School in Tirana, all involved in initiatives focused on capacity development in the digital economy sphere and its impact on various segments of society.
