ALBANIA – A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY, ADRIATIC-IONIAN REGION’S EAGLE, AND EUSAIR FOUNDING COUNTRY

Despite its modest size, covering an area of 27.400 sq km, and a population of 2.877.797 as of 2025, Albania holds growing geopolitical and strategic importance. It is a member of NATO, an EU candidate country, a key player in regional stability in the Western Balkans, and an EUSAIR founding country. Bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo[1] and North Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south, with a coastline of 360 km facing the Ionian and Adriatic Seas and a mountainous terrain that constitutes about 70% of the country’s area, it is a rising star in the Adriatic–Ionian Region from an economic development point of view.

[1]This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Photo: Albania

“Opportunity” is an important word stressed by Albanian national EUSAIR implementers, as well as by other state officials in their public appearances. Albania is a land of opportunities, as it presents itself to investors, partners, and visitors—a country that offers a large number of opportunities, but also one that can make extremely good use of them, among which membership in EUSAIR is certainly an important one. Albania has participated in EUSAIR, as is well known, from the very beginning as one of EUSAIR’s eight founding members.

The Albanian flag features a double-headed eagle, a symbol of strength and freedom dating back to the medieval Kastrioti dynasty of Skanderbeg, Albania’s national hero, and symbolises the core values that guide Albania on its historic path.

Competitive labour costs, a young, educated and skilled population (almost half the population is under 35), macroeconomic stability, customs-free access, and strong potential for growth in various sectors, together with support to investors provided by the Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA), generate a positive investment climate and attract investment in six key sectors identified by the Albanian government: tourism, agriculture, energy, transport, manufacturing, and information and communications technology (ICT) and business process outsourcing (BPO). The focus of investment should be on innovation and sustainable development.

Italy is the most present Adriatic–Ionian country, with more than 3,000 Italian SMEs operating in Albania. This results from traditional historical relationships, as well as cooperation and partnerships developed within the EUSAIR framework.

Photo: Tirana

For example, the General Local Plan, promoted as “The Tirana 2030: a platform for citizens” (shortly: “The Tirana 2030”), and designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti, based in Milan with offices in Shanghai and Tirana, has revived investment in construction and sustainable urban development. The Tirana 2030 includes advanced infrastructure, green corridors, and the enhancement of the city’s architectural heritage; schools operate 24 hours a day, and there are facilities for citizens, renewable energy sources, improvements to the agricultural system, and increased accessibility for all. Promoted by the central government and developed in close collaboration with local administrations, The Tirana 2030 is also the largest umbrella project, heading a programme for the future of all major Albanian cities.

Photo: Tirana: The first Mediterranean Capital of Culture & Dialogue 2025

Tirana has been declared the Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2025, following a unanimous vote by 43 countries and 4,000 organizations. The initiative, coordinated by the Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Foundation, celebrates the Euro-Mediterranean region’s cultural diversity while promoting greater mutual understanding and dialogue among its inhabitants.

Photo: Tirana: The first Mediterranean Capital of Culture & Dialogue 2025

Looking at the EUSAIR through the lenses of Sustainable Development

Albania borders both the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea, offering over 360 km of coastline. But Albania is a country of mountains – nearly 70% of Albania’s terrain is mountainous, including the Accursed Mountains (the Albanian Alps), popular with hikers and eco-tourists.

Albania is a biodiversity hotspot: it is home to over 3,200 plant species and 350 bird species, making it one of the richest countries in Europe in terms of biodiversity per square kilometre. Albania enjoys a Mediterranean climate with up to 300 days of sunshine annually. The country is rich in natural resources and has great potential for renewable energy development, with opportunities to leverage its rich water, wind, solar, biomass and geothermal resources, and it has committed to a binding target of 55.4% energy from renewable sources in gross final consumption by 2030, starting from 31.2% in 2009. Albania has the youngest population in Europe, with almost half the population (specifically 46%) under 35 years old; therefore their present and the future are highly important topics for the country.

Consequently, all five EUSAIR thematic pillars—Sustainable Blue Economy, Connecting the Region (Transport and Energy), Environmental Quality, Sustainable Tourism, and Improved Social Cohesion—are of paramount importance for Albania. Its key implementers are most engaged in the fourth pillar, Sustainable Tourism, which coordinates together with Croatia. Albania has contributed to the development and implementation of the EUSAIR Action Plan, as well as to seven flagship projects under Pillar 4: Sustainable Tourism.

Photo: EUSAIR Pillar 4 Flagship projects

Looking at the EUSAIR through the lenses of EU enlargement

Albania applied for EU membership in April 2009 and was granted EU candidate status in June 2014. In April 2018, the European Commission issued a recommendation to open accession negotiations. In June 2018 the Council adopted conclusions, in which it agreed to respond positively to the progress made by Albania, and set out the path towards opening the accession negotiations in June 2019. The first accession conference with Albania, which opened the accession negotiations, was held on 19 July 2022. Accession negotiations are still ongoing: the sixth accession conference with Albania took place on 16 September 2025. The meeting was used to open negotiations on chapter 4 (green agenda and sustainable connectivity). At the preceding accession conferences, the EU and Albania opened negotiations on chapter 3 (competitiveness and inclusive growth) on 22 May 2025, chapter 2 (internal market) on 14 April 2025, chapter 6 (external relations), on 17 December 2024, and chapter 1 (fundamentals), on 15 October 2024.

Good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation remain essential elements of the enlargement process, and Albania uses an opportunity for constructive engagement in regional cooperation within the EUSAIR framework.

As Albanian EUSAIR implementers—national and pillar coordinators—the EUSAIR has anticipated the current trend in EU policy priorities, foreseeing the need to combine innovation, economic development, and environmental considerations.

Photo: Antonela Dhimolea

“EUSAIR supports enlargement by opening EU policies and strategies to Albania, and fostering administrative capacity building through cooperation at the technical level among participants in its Thematic Steering Groups (TSGs) and other stakeholders involved in implementation of the Strategy. EUSAIR has, indeed, a number of assets for Albania’s EU accession path: a capacity-building approach, horizontal cooperation, a regional dimension, an emphasis on territorial cooperation that stimulates positive dynamics between local authorities, the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders at the local, national, and transnational level; and an inclusive approach that empowers stakeholders as active participants in the macro-region,” declares Antonela Dhimolea, National Coordinator from the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs, 2025.

EU financial support and EU funded projects

Photo: EU assistance IPA since 2007

The EU is the largest provider of financial assistance to Albania. It offers a variety of programmes and instruments to support Albania’s development and EU accession process. Since 2020, the EU has mobilised €1.4 billion in investments, including more than €600 million in EU grants.

Funding is mobilised through tools such as the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) to fund for example: the rehabilitation of the 120 km railway section Vorë–Hani i Hotit, including the renovation of 12 train stations and new signalling and telecommunications systems; the Belshi 50 MW solar photovoltaic power plant, producing 79 GWh/year of electricity and displacing over 50,000 tonnes of CO2 annually; a floating solar photovoltaic power plant at Vau i Dejës Lake, the region’s first hybrid floating solar and hydropower plant, together with the reservoir hosting one of the largest hydropower plants in Albania. It produces 18 GWh of electricity and displaces 8,700 tonnes of CO2 each year, funded by WBIF Bilateral Donors.

Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Between 2021 and 2024 the EU has committed around €455 million of financial and technical assistance to Albania under IPA III. The Commission adopted further IPA financial assistance in the amount of €100 million via the IPA III 2025–2027 multi annual action in July 2025. This includes support to vulnerable families and SMEs in Albania in dealing with energy prices; support for youth employment and vocational education and training; support for renewable energy and energy efficiency in buildings, deployment of electric high-speed recharging infrastructure for clean road vehicles, and energy efficiency and environmental protection in the water sector; support for an ICT infrastructure to provide better services to society and for integration with EU IT systems, cyber security and digital connectivity; support for improving the protection of the environment and for developing an inclusive and gender-responsive circular economy and sustainable green growth in Albania, and other measures.

The EU has funded as well over 7,700 exchanges between EU and Albanian citizens in the areas of education, training, youth and sport under ERASMUS+ since 2021, and 654 computer labs in 615 primary and secondary schools have been equipped to enhance the computer programming skills of young students.

EUSAIR, in implementing its objectives and thematic priorities, relies on existing EU funds as sources of financing, on a project-based approach, and most projects are funded from the ADRION Programme.

The results of the first call of the Interreg  IPA ADRION 2021–2027 Programme have been encouraging: 51 Albanian beneficiaries are currently implementing 60 projects, with a total contracted budget exceeding €7.4 million. This marks a significant increase compared with the previous programming period under IPA II, reflecting not only improved institutional capacities but also the strategic importance Albanian stakeholders attribute to the programme. The statement was made by representatives of the State Agency for Strategic Programming and Aid Coordination at the National Info Day for the Second Call for Project Proposals under the Interreg  IPA ADRION 2021–2027 Programme, held in Tirana on 2 May 2025.

Photo: IPA ADRION

EUSAIR Presidency and 7th Forum

Albania formally took over the one-year Chairmanship of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative (AII) and the Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) in 2021. Its EUSAIR Presidency focused on the priorities: Youth and inclusiveness; European integration and the Green Agenda; Tourism and Culture; and Connectivity.

Photo: 7th EUSAIR Forum

The 7th EUSAIR Forum, the main annual EUSAIR stakeholders event, took place in Tirana in May 2022 in a hybrid format, gathering around 1,000 participants – ministers in charge of foreign affairs and European funds, officials of the European Commission, relevant stakeholders and general public to take part in discussing the future of the Strategy and its role in addressing the key issues in our region. In line with the fact that 2022 is the EU Year of Youth and  Tirana being named the European Capital of Youth for 2022, a significant focus of the forum sessions was placed on youth and inclusiveness in the Adriatic-Ionian region.

The Forum was a great, but very demanding, networking event from the organiser’s point of view and was successfully organised by Albanian EUSAIR key implementers with a lot of enthusiasm for the EU, a strong commitment to enlargement, and to youth involvement in EUSAIR actions and activities. It is remembered as the first occasion that allowed travel and face-to-face meetings after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pillar Coordinators of the Sustainable Tourism EUSAIR pillar, Croatia and Albania, organised within the Forum a panel discussion entitled “Navigating Tourism through Policies and Trends: The Role of Tourism and Culture in the Revision of the EUSAIR Action Plan”.

“Albania is rapidly and intensely developing in the field of rural, active, and adventure tourism. In a very short period, 260 new agro-tourism businesses have been established, and rapid progress is being made in other areas of sustainable tourism, with a significant role played by women in this process,” highlighted in her opening speech by Mirela Kumbaro, Albanian Minister of Tourism and Environment (2021-2025).

Photo: Mirela Kumbaro

The panel discussed how research and innovation data can ‘pave the way’ for a climate-friendly, dynamic, creative cultural offering in the Adriatic–Ionian Strategy area, and how cultural routes and the digitisation of tourist content can contribute to improving the tourist offer and revitalising local communities. Several good examples and initiatives in these areas were presented. Particular attention from participants was drawn to the digitisation of cultural heritage, presented by the Croatian representative, and to the interesting tool for destination promotion indicated by the Montenegrin representative, pointing to the possibility of using research data from the Happiness Index as the basis for branding the destination “Happy hosts—happy guests.”

Besides the 7th Forum, Albania hosted several EUSAIR-related events highlighted by the Albanian EUSAIR key implementers: the 24th TSG4 meeting held in Durrës on 7–8 November 2024; the Interreg IPA EUSAIR Youth Conference “For a meaningful involvement of young people in European cooperation,” held on 9 December 2022 in Tirana; and the 6th EUSAIR Facility Point Steering Group meeting held on 6-7 February 2019 in Tirana, 8th TSG3 meeting held in Tirana on 19-20 June 2018, 5th TSG4 meeting in Tirana on 17-18 November 2016.

Apart from organising the Forum, Albania actively participates in the work of the annual Forums organised by other participating countries, from the ministerial level across EUSAIR pillar sessions.

Photo: EUSAIR 10th Forum 2025, Ministerial meeting

Photo: Family photo from EUSAIR 10th Forum 2025

During the 10th Forum held this year in Crete, Greece, and within the EUSAIR Pillar 1 Sustainable Blue Growth panel titled: “Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities through Blue Upskilling of Local Populations”, Deputy Team Leader of the SANE 27 Project, Rezart Kapedani from Albania, presented ways to improve local communities near the coastal lagoons through sustainable tourism and spatial planning.

Photo: EUSAIR Pillar 1 Sustainable Blue Growth panel, EUSAIR Forum 2025

Photo: EUSAIR Pillar 4 Sustainable Tourism coordinators and panelists, EUSAIR Forum 2025

Within the same framework of 10th EUSAIR Forum, EUSAIR Pillar 4 coordinated with Croatia and Albania hosted the Session “Cultural Tourism and the Mediterranean Diet as a tool for Local Sustainable Development”.

Photo: EUSAIR Pillar 4 Sustainable Tourism Session, EUSAIR Forum 2025

Albania has become a rising star in tourism, attracting global travellers

Albania

Photo: Albania

Travel and tourism are among the most important sectors, with a significant weight for the Albanian economy in terms of money and employment, and also in terms of its positive forecasts for further growth. The tourism sector in 2024 recorded a direct contribution of 26.1% of national GDP, positioning Albania at the top of the AI countries list, owing to its dependence on that sector. Absolute figures indicate approximately 11.7 million international tourists recorded in 2024 and 278,000 new jobs, which constitute about 21.8% of total employment in Albania.

EUSAIR Pillar 4 – Sustainable Tourism, coordinated by Croatia and Albania, aims to develop the full potential of the Adriatic-Ionian region in terms of innovative, sustainable, responsible, resilient, and high-quality tourism, taking into account all the key dimensions of economic, environmental, cultural, and social sustainability.

Its priorities focus on the digital and green transition of the tourism ecosystem, innovative approaches to developing sustainable tourism services and products, and their diversification, addressing seasonality. Pillar 4 supports sustainable tourism stakeholders activities that contributing to economic viability, local prosperity, quality employment, social equity, visitor satisfaction, local empowerment, community well‑being, cultural richness, physical integrity, biodiversity, resource efficiency, and environmental integrity.

Given the importance of the tourism sector for the Albanian economy and the capacities developed through EUSAIR, it is not surprising that the greatest number of projects has been created and implemented precisely in that sector, with the support of existing EU funds, cross‑border and regional cooperation, and partnerships largely developed through the framework of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region. Let us name some of them:

  • ADRIONET is a project implemented within the ADRION programme (2014-2020) that creates a transnational network of ‘Authentic Villages’ as a driver of local development to overcome the current marginalisation and under-valorisation of smaller but still rich destinations and historic destinations in the Adriatic–Ionian region. The innovative product introduced by ADRIONET refers to the innovative approach of the ‘hospitable community’;
  • The ADRION5SENSES project, implemented under the ADRION programme (2014-2020), creates an innovative product combining the five senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch – to develop effective branding strategies and improve the performance of ADRION destinations;
  • The CULTURAL LANDS project was implemented within the Interreg Greece–Albania programme and embodies the establishment of an innovative network of cooperation in the service of sustainable local and regional development in the field of preservation and promotion of similar cultural assets as a prerequisite for the development of cultural tourism;
  • SMART TOUR project, implemented within the Interreg Greece–Albania programme, has created an innovative platform that combines “Impressive Reality” (Immersive Reality) with cloud-based tools;
  • THEMA project, implemented under the Interreg Greece–Albania programme, introduces innovations at three levels: at the technological level, by including a new form of Bluetooth location sensor and an innovative gamification reward mechanism; at the content level, by exploiting and enriching existing routes while providing open access to that content to travel agents and tour operators; and at the societal level, by promoting socialisation and empowering users;
  • COMPLICITIES project, implemented within the Interreg Italy–Albania–Montenegro programme, aims to develop innovative solutions for urban renewal through the cooperation of cultural and creative industries, local communities and public institutions;
  • OPEN TOURISM project, implemented within the Interreg Italy–Albania–Montenegro programme, introduces innovations in relations with the local community through participatory and interactive models of cooperation and innovation in the field of product development;
  • CHEESECULT, a project implemented under the Interreg Greece–Albania programme, creates a link between value chains and dairy tourism, mapping and ultimately establishing an innovative cultural heritage product – Cheese Route – as a driving force for tourism development with different sub-routes;
  • PROSFORA project implemented under the Interreg Greece – Albania programme creates an innovative product, pilgrimage tourism, together with the promotion of local cuisine, products and services, using the latest ICT methods and tools to improve the visitor experience;
  • TOURNEE project implemented under the Interreg Italy – Albania – Montenegro programme includes experts in theatre production, territorial marketing, cultural heritage management and strategic tourism policy in creating innovative cultural products to strengthen the use of tourist destinations. As a result, theatre is expected to play an increasingly important role in supporting economic growth in tourism, as well as improving public policy in the cultural and tourism sectors.

Albania has participated in the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes since 2022 and is included in four of them: the Phoenicians’ Route, ATRIUM, the Roman Emperors and Danube Wine Route, and the Aeneas Route.

The digital Transition at Work: The First AI Minister in the World

Albania has recently attracted substantial attention in global media with its move to appoint an AI-generated virtual minister, Diella, as Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence. Minister Diella represents a bold step for Albania toward the institutionalisation of advanced technologies, placing the country at the forefront of innovation in the region and beyond. Diella’s mission includes improving access to public services for citizens, fully digitising documents and state processes, and integrating artificial intelligence into the most critical sectors of the country, including the public procurement sector.

‘The virtual minister is called Diella, which in Albanian means “Sun”, and she will be responsible for all public procurement. Diella will evaluate bids and have the right to hire talent from around the world, while at the same time dispelling fears of prejudice and rigidity within the administration. ‘This is not science fiction, but Diella’s duty,” said Prime Minister Edi Rama while introducing the new member of the government to the Albanian Parliament.

The Albanian Prime Minister stressed that all decisions on tenders and public procurement will be in Diella’s hands, and Albania will be the first country in the world where public tenders are 100 per cent corruption-free and where every public fund that goes through the procurement process is 100 per cent legal.