A morning of exchanges and interesting discussions was held today at the Tirana International Hotel, across from Skanderbeg Square, always crowded of tourists visiting the Albanian capital. Thanks to the project “Lakes of Albania”, implemented by a consortium led by the CSOs COSV and VIS, a wide range of stakeholders involved in this initiative and […]

Today marks the International Day of Rural Women, a relevant celebration in Albania, where social and economic disparities in the agricultural world are tangible, pushing for urgent policies in favor of rural women. The Italian Development Cooperation is working on women and girls in rural and marginalized areas in the northern regions of the country […]

The General States of Culture were held at the Kinostudio in Tirana, a symbolic venue for the Albanian cultural scene. This open and participatory meeting was organized as part of the initiative “Promoting the sustainability of cultural policies, the development of creative industries, and the promotion of human rights in Albania” funded by the Italian […]

AICS Tirana Office participated in the “Regional Meeting on Sustainable Water Resources Management in the Balkans,” organized by CIHEAM Bari as part of the One Water project, funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The two-day event was dedicated to strengthening dialogue for an interregional and sustainable governance of water resources […]

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), have joined forces under the project Leveraging the potential of diaspora to advance EU accession and labour mobility in the Western Balkans, funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), to highlight how the experiences, skills, and perspectives of the Bosnian diaspora can inspire creativity, strengthen social cohesion, and contribute to sustainable development in the Western Balkans.

AICS Tirana’s support to the rural development sector in Albania extends beyond the EU GoAL project. Through a package comprising 15 projects – 10 grant-funded and 5 funded through soft loans  – with a total value exceeding EUR 60 million, the office is actively engaged in coordinating and creating synergies among the various funded initiatives.

The delegation also toured the extraordinary mosaics of Bylis, where AICS introduced its upcoming capacity-building program, scheduled to start implementation in September 2025. The program aims to train not only the new park administration but also students and other heritage professionals from across Albania.

With a ceremony at the Multifunctional Center of Pogradec, some results of the project “Lakes of Albania” – funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and implemented by the italian civil society organizations COSV and VIS – have been presented to the local community: the booklet “Tales from the Legends of the Lake” and two videos aiming at encouraging responsible and inclusive tourism in Pogradec/Ohrid, entitled “Dare to join, or miss the fun” and “The Chestnut Trail”, already disseminated on social media and quickly became popular.

The project, titled “Ho(spitable) Re(silient) Ca(pable): Support to the Labour Market Integration of Young People in the Hospitality Industry” targets the hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa) sector — one of Kosovo’s fastest-growing industries with strong potential for job creation.

Both projects are funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) through CIHEAM Bari, in cooperation with institutions across all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina.