UK Ambassador to Albania reaffirms support for SPAK amid U.S. aid suspension

UK Ambassador to Albania, Nicholas Abbott, has met with Altin Dumani, head of the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), to express continued British support for the institution. The British embassy confirmed that Abbott reiterated the United Kingdom’s commitment to assisting SPAK in its anti-corruption and organized crime efforts.
Why is this important: The declaration of British support comes at a critical time, just days after the U.S. government announced a suspension of international aid for 90 days—a move expected to impact institutions like SPAK, which has benefited heavily from American funding. U.S. aid has been instrumental in motivating and empowering SPAK’s fight against high-level corruption over the past five years. However, the shift in U.S. priorities under the current administration signals that SPAK may now need to seek greater support from European partners, including the UK, to sustain its progress.
Context: During the meeting, Dumani and Abbott discussed SPAK’s new strategy to combat electoral crime in the lead-up to Albania’s 2025 parliamentary elections. Ambassador Abbott welcomed these efforts, emphasizing the importance of SPAK’s role in upholding democracy through election-related investigations. The ambassador highlighted that SPAK, after five years of operation, has earned both domestic trust and international recognition as one of Albania’s most credible institutions.
As part of its strategy, SPAK is establishing a Task Force that will focus on electoral crime investigations. The Task Force, led by Dumani, will operate from February to May 2025, coinciding with the electoral period. This initiative aims to strengthen enforcement of electoral laws and prevent voter manipulation or other illegal activities during the election cycle.
Abbott further affirmed the UK’s long-term partnership with SPAK, pledging continued cooperation in 2025 and beyond.
Next steps: SPAK’s new Task Force will begin operations in February 2025, with a focus on safeguarding the integrity of the upcoming elections. UK and European support is welcome, but were the 90 suspension of U.S. support to become a permanent freeze it remains to be seen whether any other country can offer SPAK the technical, and above all, political backing that allowed it to pursue corruption at the highest levels.