The UAE and Republic of Albania have discussed ways to develop bilateral collaboration in government development during an official visit by a UAE government delegation to Tirana, as part of the UAE Government Experience Exchange Programme.

This comes within the efforts of the two sides to activate the collaboration agreement in government development, signed in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and Edi Rama, Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, at the World Government Summit 2023 last February.

The UAE government delegation included Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange; Sulaiman Al Mazrouei, UAE Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, Non-resident Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Albania; and Manal bin Salem, Government Experience Exchange Programme Team Leader.

The delegation met with Milva Ekonomi, Albanian Minister of State for Standards and Services, and Elira Kokona, Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers of Albania. The meeting explored ways to activate bilateral cooperation in government development, while identifying priority areas, based on the UAE’s advanced experience in developing government work.

The delegation also met with Mirlinda Karcanaj, Director at National Agency for Information Society, to discuss fostering joint work and coordination towards the development and management of digital systems and the advancement of Albania’s digital society. Another meeting was held with the Albanian School of Public Administration to explore new methods aiming to bolster cooperation in building government capabilities and training employees in areas of priority for the Albanian government.

The visit also included a meeting with Sokol Nano, Executive Director at the Albanian Investment Development Agency, examining mechanisms to boost tourism potential, promote investments, and enhance competitiveness of the private sector in Albania.

The UAE delegation discussed with Besfort Lamallari, Albania’s Deputy Minister of Interior, areas of cooperation and government experience and knowledge exchange in security across sectors such as innovation, services, and training.

Abdulla Nasser Lootah affirmed that the UAE government under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, is keen to expand areas of knowledge exchange and share its advanced experiences with governments worldwide to develop a new work module and enhance their readiness for the future on sustainable foundations.

He said the meetings with Albanian officials were part of the joint efforts to activate the bilateral cooperation agreement in government devevlopment, signed at the World Government Summit 2023 as part of the Government Experience Exchange Programme. He further emphasised the governments’ endeavours to transform this combined effort into a successful example of constructive and purposeful partnerships to enhance government work and drive efficiency, performance and readiness for the future, towards the benefit of individuals and societies.

For her part, Milva Ekonomi affirmed Albania's keenness to strengthen ties with the UAE government, especially in the fields of development and knowledge exchange across different areas of government work. She commended the UAE government’s visit and efforts of the working teams, which paved the way for further cooperation and benefit from the UAE's experiences.

The partnership agreement between the governments of the UAE and Republic of Albania was inked by Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Government Summit, and Albianian Minister of State for Standards and Services Milva Ekonomi. It focuses on exchanging knowledge, expertise and best practices in government development, and sharing successful experiences in areas of excellence, innovation, performance, government accelerators and service development, as well as capacity building and empowerment to tackle future challenges.