The personnel of the offices of communication with the voters from all over Albania and senior officials of the administration of the Assembly gathered in Shkodër, on July 14 and 15, 2023, in a coordination meeting and training. The event was organized by the Parliament of Albania with the support of the OSCE Presence, with the aim of improving the skills of the staff of the deputies’ offices.

On the first day, the participants discussed the progress of the offices and learned from each other’s experience. On the second day, they participated in a training focused on increasing citizen engagement, bringing the Assembly closer to young people, enabling meetings between citizens and deputies, keeping records and preparing evaluations. Yes, the staff of the Assembly discussed the plans of several activities on the ground, which will be developed with the support of the OSCE Presence, in counties such as Gjirokastra, Saranda, Vlora, Dibra, Shkodra, Korça and Elbasani.

“We appreciate the irreplaceable and significant role of parliamentary services. Our support is proof of long-term commitment to create a more active and healthy relationship between citizens and their institutions. Civil society and parliament have started to come closer and, by supporting initiatives like this, we are determined to further narrow the distance between them”, the Chairman of the OSCE Presence, Ambassador Bruce Berton, said at the opening of the meeting.

The General Secretary of the Assembly of Albania, Genci Gjonçaj, emphasized that the parliament is the house of the people and should serve them through electoral offices, which are connecting bridges. He considered the role of the OSCE Presence as irreplaceable in this process.

For more than a decade, the OSCE Presence has worked together with the Assembly of Albania to increase its professionalism, accountability and transparency. In 2015-2016, Presence supported the opening of voter communication offices in Korça and Shkodër and, since then, has organized activities to consolidate trust and cooperation between MPs and local communities.