OSCE Presence in Albania Newsletter| January-February 2026

Ministers of Interior of Albania and North Macedonia, as well as General Directors of Police, Heads of Border Police, Heads of International Co- operation Departments and Directors of Customs, met in Skopje on 28 Jan., with OSCE support, to revitalize the bilateral agreement on Police Co- operation and Co-ordination Centres. In a follow-up, on 11–12 Feb., the joint working group between the two countries successfully concluded negotiations on the Agreement on the Establishment of Shared Border Crossing Points and the Conduct of Joint Border Control Activities. NEWSLETTER #SkaShkurt / #NoShortcuts is the OSCE and Ministry of Justice’s online campaign that responds to the increase in the recruitment of young people into criminal activities. The campaign features real live stories from young people who lived the realities of crime and chose a different life. It also leverages public figures showing that success comes through hard work. The campaign was launched on 24 February at an event attended by the Head of Presence and Minister Lamallari. Ambassador Tarran also spoke about the campaign in an interview with RTSH. #SkaShkurt - No shortcuts to success Albania, North Macedonia strengthen border co-operation with OSCE support OSCE Presence wraps up environmental governance project On 11 Feb., the Presence brought together institutions and civil society to present the final evaluation of the project “Strengthening environmental governance and security in Albania”. Discussions highlighted key findings and practical recommendations to strengthen the fight against environmental crime through improved inter- institutional co-ordination, capacity building and alignment with international standards. The project ran from 2022 to 2025 and was financed by Norway, France and Italy. OSCE Presence reaffirms support to Albanian institutions Ambassador Michel Tarran reiterated the OSCE Presence continued commitment to supporting Albanian institutions during numerous high-level meetings in Jan. and Feb. He met with heads of Parliament, Constitutional Court, SPAK, National Bureau of Investigation, Parliamentary Committee on Civic Initiatives and Legal Affairs, National Minorities Committee, Audio-visual Media Authority, Minister of Environment and Commissioner for the Supervision of the Civil Service. D/Head of Presence Pasztory met with Deputy Speaker of Parliament. January-February 2026