Tirana – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Amer Kapetanovic, met with the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, and the Speaker of the Parliament of Albania, Elisa Spiropali, in Tirana today. The purpose of the visit, which is a part of the RCC Secretary General’s tour of the region, was to discuss regional cooperation agendas and progress made in the ongoing initiatives, as well as plans.

During the meetings, Secretary General Kapetanovic congratulated Tirana on the achievements under its Chairmanship of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), highlighting its commitment to fostering stability, security, and economic growth in the region. He also praised Albania for the progress made in its EU accession process, including opening of two negotiation clusters, and its strong alignment with the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda 2022-2024, as well as for being the first of the WB6 to join SEPA, alongside Montenegro.

“The Western Balkans is making strides in regional connectivity, economic integration, and digital transformation, and Albania stands out as a key driver of this progress. The RCC values Albania’s leadership in regional initiatives and its commitment to the Common Regional Market, the Green Agenda, and the SEE2030 Strategy. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to bring tangible benefits to citizens across South East Europe,” said RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanovic.

In discussions with Speaker Spiropali, the RCC emphasized the crucial role of parliaments in advancing regional cooperation. The meeting touched on the upcoming RCC-led study on Parliamentary Cooperation for Enhancing Regional Connectivity in SEE, initiated upon Tirana’s SEECP Chairmanship proposal and unanimously agreed on by the SEECP Parliamentary Assembly’s Standing Committee.

Albanian officials expressed strong support for the RCC’s work, particularly in strengthening visibility and implementation of the Common Regional Market and Green Agenda and fostering collaboration at the political and institutional levels. They also commended RCC’s efforts in advancing regional cooperation in the areas of digital transformation, including cybersecurity.
The RCC remains committed to working with Albania and all regional partners to drive forward initiatives that enhance connectivity, resilience, and economic prosperity across South East Europe.

Earlier this week, the RCC Secretary General was in a visit to Skopje where he met top officials in North Macedonia. Tomorrow he is set to travel to Brussels where he will chair the meeting, being organised by the RCC, of the WB6 Prime Ministers’ Sherpas, dedicated to the implementation of the Common Regional Market Action Plan.