From July 7 to 12, a mission by the Deputy Administrative Directorate of AICS Rome took place at AICS Tirana. The delegation included managers and officials from Offices VIII, IX, X, and XI, as well as an official from the Deputy Technical Directorate, the Western Balkans and Latin America Desk of Office II.
The mission provided an opportunity for fruitful discussions between the experts and the foreign office on administrative, accounting, legal, procedural, and human resources, logistics, and security issues.
The joint presence of representatives from the two Deputy Directorates allowed for a broader analysis of some of the issues addressed, while also strengthening the dialogue between the two entities within the Headquarters and providing useful insights for simplifying and innovating existing processes.
During the meeting with the Italian Ambassador to Tirana, Fabrizio Bucci, the importance of this kind of mission was emphasized for strengthening communication and coordination between AICS Headquarters and foreign offices, and consequently for more timely and effective field activities.
A day was dedicated to visiting several projects implemented in the city of Vlora, aimed at safeguarding natural and cultural heritage and supporting economic and job placement activities related to culture and sustainable tourism. Specifically, the mission visited the veterinary clinic and the educational space for training and raising awareness about the protection of turtles from anthropogenic threats at the Marine Turtle Recovery Center, part of the “NaturAlbania” initiative, implemented in collaboration with the CSOs CELIM, CESVI, and VIS. The visit concluded at the Vision Multimedia Center, created thanks to the Italian-Albanian Debt Swap Program, where the delegation was able to explore—through an augmented reality experience—the wrecks of Italian military ships sunk in the Bay of Vlora during World Wars I and II.