Albania is currently undergoing one of the most profound institutional transformations in recent decades: the full digitization of public administration and citizen services, a fundamental reform that has impacted every level of the state system.

To assess the progress made in this area, at a time when over 95% of public services are online, accessible from any device and location, and when the e-Albania platform has become the gateway to state services, a meeting was held today with institutional leaders, international partners, and diplomatic representatives. The event was attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama, Minister for Economy, Culture & Innovation Blendi Gonxhja, and the Director of National Agency for Information Society Linda Karçanaj.

Prime Minister Rama praised the work of National Agency for Information Society, the leading institution in this transformation, and emphasized that Albania “is the first country to use AI in negotiations with the EU. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the transfer of the entire EU Acquis Communautaire, which spans over a quarter of a million pages, is being completed at an extraordinary speed.”

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Greetings to everyone here, it is truly a great pride every time we are given the opportunity to pause for a moment and reflect on the path we have taken and continue to take towards a historic transformation based on technology.

What has happened in the last decade is extraordinary, and this is so true that Albania is considered a leading country in the region when it comes to the digitalization of public services.

There are 3.3 million users—essentially, all Albanians, both inside and outside the country, use the platform, as well as businesses. Since 2020, 49 million services have been provided.

Now, imagine 49 million people waiting in line.

49 million face-to-face interactions, ear-to-ear, breath-to-breath with the state at service counters.

49 million queues.

All of this has been eliminated.

We have conducted an international audit of the platform to fully understand what this transformation has produced. 620 million euros saved for citizens and businesses, solely from this transformation, just from the elimination of queues and from time saved.

1 billion kilometers of roads, 1 billion kilometers of travel back and forth for people to collect documents—something auditors have pointed out to us as an example: 25,000 trips around the Earth.

Albanian citizens living abroad have saved 57 million euros because they can now access services through the platform. Even more importantly, those abroad can receive the same services as those living in Albania, without having to wait until they return to the country.

But what’s truly important to highlight today is what we are doing right now and what we will have at our disposal in the years to come.

Now, National Agency for Information Society has also taken up the mantle of artificial intelligence. It’s a stroke of fate that one of the creators of Open AI and ChatGPT, Mira Murati, is Albanian. We reached out to her in the first week after ChatGPT was launched when we became aware of its existence. Today, thanks to our collaboration with Mira, her team, and National Agency for Information Society, negotiations with the EU are being conducted with the assistance of artificial intelligence.

It is the first country to use artificial intelligence for negotiations with the EU, and thanks to artificial intelligence, the transfer of the entire EU legal framework (acquis Communautaire), which consists of over a quarter of a million pages, is being carried out at a breathtaking speed.

Just to carry out this process, Croatia, which excelled in European integration, needed 7 years. We will complete the entire process within the timeframe agreed with the European Commission, which is 2027. If you look at the flow of information coming in real-time from the Artificial Intelligence model, which is becoming increasingly smarter, today, in fact, if we started with 90% accuracy, today we have 99% accuracy in transferring the EU legal framework into the Albanian language. But not only that—there are also other processes handled by the model, such as complementarity with existing legislation, overlaps, etc. It is truly spectacular. Beyond this, we have now incorporated Artificial Intelligence into the Ministry of Justice.

Another step we are taking, as Linda mentioned, is the Artificial Intelligence model for Public Procurement. Today, the fact is, according to the SIGMA report, which is the European Union’s tool for monitoring various aspects of governance, including public procurement, we are the leaders in the region in this area. In public procurement legislation, we are the only country in the region without intermediate stages, and the European Union considers us nearly ready. As for implementation and the integrity of public procurement, we have not only managed to be the first in the region, but we also have a significant lead over the second-place country.

Next is the revenue sector in taxes and customs. Fiscalization was an important step, but it was insufficient and incomplete without the current step we’re taking with Artificial Intelligence. This allows for real-time analysis of all transactions, identifying issues with transactions at an unprecedented speed.

Another key area is territorial control. We are focusing on two aspects: one is monitoring the territory, and the other is accelerating and ensuring the integrity of the legalization process, which has been one of the last remaining parts. We have completed 1.27 million legalizations, with 60,000 more in process.

Another important element is territorial control. We are focusing on two aspects: one is monitoring the territory, and the other is accelerating and ensuring the integrity of the legalization process, which is now in its final stages. We have completed 1270 thousand legalizations, with 60,000 more in progress.

Intelligent drones are now operational, along with satellite systems for collecting geospatial data. With further collaboration with National Agency for Information Services and the integration of Artificial Intelligence in this field, we will effectively have complete control over the territory.

Ultimately, we will reach a point where traffic violations, such as speeding, will be detected in real-time. In real-time, a photo of you will appear, smiling, as you speed due to increased adrenaline, with a prompt to slow down, as well as details on where and when to pay the fine, along with the photo.

To avoid extending further on topics like education, healthcare, and so on, I want to conclude with what Linda mentioned. In addition to the European passport, which is our goal through EU membership, we are working on the electronic identity card, which is fully aligned with the standards and parameters set by the EU for electronic ID. While the EU has not yet implemented it, the parameters are well established.

We have experienced 42 serious cyberattacks, and just one year ago, in 2023, we faced 63 serious attacks. But this is where the third key factor of this revolution comes in: National Agency for Cybersecurity—the new agency we’ve established for cybersecurity protection.

At the same time, the project to extend cybersecurity protection to the private sector continues, and I take this opportunity to urge the private sector not to underestimate the threat from digital terrorists.

Thank you!