The College of Europe opens its doors in Tirana, welcoming new public administration officials from Western Balkan countries.

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, and the Director of the pilot program of the European Diplomatic Academy, Federica Mogherini, welcomed the students at the training conducted by the College of Europe with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Minister Hasani expressed gratitude to the Albanian government for the record-time opening of the College of Europe in Tirana, emphasizing that the Tirana Campus will place our region on the map of EU professionals.

“I believe that for all of you coming from the region, you will feel the spirit of Europe here. Use that feeling and build bridges of cooperation that will make our region stronger and more suitable for achieving the goal: the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU. Let me conclude by telling you, new colleagues, that Europe is where our hearts stand! And your hearts are beating here today. Welcome to the College of Europe in Tirana! Be brave, be European,” expressed the albanian chief diplomat Hasani.

Rector Federica Mogherini emphasized that such initiatives strengthen regional cooperation and bring the Western Balkans closer to EU integration.

“We have always said that we must work hard with the region to prepare it for EU membership, and therefore this has started and needs to be made real, with these new officials working in various administrations who are starting training at the Tirana Campus,” she said.

The training will focus on European integration and regional cooperation, which will be held in Tirana, Brussels, and The Hague. This is the first training to open the doors of the College of Europe in Tirana.