Coordinating Council of the Diaspora holds fourth meeting in Tirana
The Coordinating Council of the Diaspora convened its fourth meeting in Tirana on Thursday, focusing on key initiatives to strengthen Albania’s ties with its global diaspora.
Why is this important: Nearly half of Albania’s population resides abroad, making the diaspora a vital resource for the country’s development. Strengthening institutional support for the diaspora is essential for safeguarding their rights and fostering their engagement with Albania. Emigrants contribute significantly to the country’s economy, with remittances increasing by €100 million this year alone, reaching €700 million in the first nine months of 2024, according to the Bank of Albania.
Recent developments offer hope for greater diaspora inclusion in Albania’s political and economic decision-making. Notably, emigrants will be able to vote in the 2025 parliamentary elections for the first time, marking a historic milestone.
Context: Prime Minister Edi Rama, who attended the meeting, expressed pride in his government’s role in enabling diaspora voting. He acknowledged, however, that significant momentum for this achievement also came from the Coordinating Council of the Diaspora.
Rama highlighted his administration’s focus on the diaspora over the past 12 years, pointing to several initiatives aimed at addressing their needs. Among these is the signing of agreements with multiple countries for mutual recognition of pensions, including a challenging agreement finalized last year with Italy and ongoing negotiations with Greece.
The government has also implemented a National Diaspora Strategy in recent years, with a significant emphasis on preserving the Albanian language and culture abroad. A flagship project, “Teachers for the Albanian Language,” was launched in Greece, where hundreds of thousands of Albanian emigrants reside. Under this program, teachers are employed to provide free Albanian language instruction to children of emigrants.
Thanks to a collaboration between Albania and Kosovo, a unified Albanian alphabet textbook has been distributed free of charge in countries with significant Albanian diaspora communities.
Key achievements: In 2024 alone, the Ministry of Education distributed 5,000 educational materials, engaging around 20,000 students in Albanian language classes. This initiative has played a crucial role in preserving the cultural identity of Albanians abroad while strengthening their connections to their homeland.
Prime Minister Rama emphasized that these efforts underscore Albania’s commitment to its diaspora, ensuring their contributions are recognized and their ties to the nation remain strong.
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