Deputy Interior Minister Romina Kuko and the Director of The Coordination Center for Countering Violent Extremism Denion Meidani, in cooperation with the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), organized a two-day round table on the “Albania’s Technical Grant Support Mechanism from GCERF”. This two-day event was chaired by Mrs. Kuko, with the main focus the support from GCERF for Albania for 2023 in the fight against Terrorism and Violent Extremism.

In her opening speech, Deputy Minister Kuko expressed her sincere gratitude to GCERF for the support given to Albania so far through the coordination of the Center Against Violent Extremism in the treatment of returnees from conflict zones and the fight against Terrorism and Violent Extremism.

“The Ministry of the Interior is grateful for your continuous contribution and support”

Mrs. Kuko addressed Mr. Kevin Osborne, GCERF representative and focal point for returnee programs. Also, earlier, the Albanian Government has expressed its gratitude through a symbolic contribution to the meeting of the Governing Board of GCERF in Geneva last year as a sign of gratitude for the contribution made.

Director of The Coordination Center for Countering Violent Extremism, Mr. Denion Meidani, thanked GCERF and Mr. Osborne in particular for the unsparing support in the treatment of returnees in Albania as well as the fight against Terrorism and Violent Extremism. Also, Meidani thanked the representatives of the US Embassy, the British Embassy and the Netherlands Embassy, the EU Delegation, the OSCE PiA and IOM Tirana as well as all the institutions, NGOs, civil society and actors involved in this process.

Mr. Osborne assured the Deputy Minister and the Director of the Center Against Violent Extremism that the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), will continue to support Albania and for the year 2023 for the Rehabilitation processes, Reintegration and Resocialization of persons returned from conflict areas as well as the fight against Terrorism and Violent Extremism.

In this two-day event participated: Mr. Jonas Paul, Political Officer of the EU Delegation in Tirana; Mr. Joseph R. Baldwin, Counterterrorism Counsellor for Southeast Europe at the US Embassy; representatives of the British Embassy; Mrs. Ebi Spahiu, representative of the Embassy of the Netherlands; Mrs. Bruna Halili, representative of the OSCE Presence in Tirana; Mrs. Alketa Gaxha, IOM Albania, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection; representatives of the Ministry of Education; representatives of Tirana Municipality; Mrs. Alma

Tandili, Head of the Child Protection Agency; representatives of non-governmental organizations, civil society as well as from the private sector.

At the end of the activity, the technical support mechanism will concretely propose the needs identified in the field of violent extremism and terrorism, where the relevant support strategies for the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in Albania will be designed and implemented with the support of GCERF.