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Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe
At the end of the 1980s Albania was still a completely impoverished country; it bore the marks of decades of dictatorship and was isolated from the rest of the world. The present-day visitor to Albania finds a different country: open in outlook, Mediterranean in style and appreciative of the joys of life. Seeing the new roads, the proliferation of new buildings and the multi-coloured skyscrapers in Tirana it is easy to forget that the country continues to need support, and many reform projects are still awaiting implementation. Although much progress has been made, there is a continuing lack of basic infrastructure, particularly in rural regions of the country. Action is required in many areas – from universal primary education to roads that are usable all year round, from a reliable water supply and sanitation system in line with environmental standards to an efficient and uninterrupted electricity supply.
Albania has good relations with its neighbours and promotes cooperation with them. The country joined NATO in April 2009 and is a member of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the successor organisation to the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, through which the international community is endeavouring to secure long-term peace in the region. Albania supports the efforts of the international community to establish common security and economic structures in the region.
Gaining membership of the European Union (EU) is the main goal of Albania's foreign policy. Its economy already exhibits a clear bias towards the EU. In April 2009 a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU came into force. At the same time the Albanian government submitted its application to join the European Union. The requirement for Albanian nationals to obtain a visa to enter the Schengen Area was abolished on 15 December 2010; this is regarded as an important step towards closer links with Europe. Meeting EU standards continues to represent a major challenge for the country. Annual reports published by the European Commission analyse the progress made in meeting the political and economic criteria and the ability to fulfil the obligations arising from membership. At the end of 2010 the Commission was still refusing to accord Albania the status of an accession candidate.
Absolute poverty in the country has declined sharply. However, economic growth is concentrated in the Tirana/Durres region and has not yet spread to rural areas. The result is a rural exodus. Rural development and improvements in infrastructure are priorities for the Albanian government. It is attempting to improve economic conditions by introducing economic reforms and reducing bureaucracy.
In 2010 Albania achieved just 3.3 out of a possible 10 points on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index. Economic development is still being constrained by a lack of legal certainty, poor infrastructure, unresolved ownership issues and organised crime. Although the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) rated the parliamentary elections of June 2009 as the country’s most properly conducted elections yet, government and opposition are locked in a stalemate that hinders functioning democracy.
Development cooperation
Development cooperation between Germany and Albania began in 1988. Albania enjoys a close partnership with Germany; as a supporter of the country's reform process, the Federal Republic is highly regarded in Albania. German development cooperation activities in Albania are particularly concerned with drinking water supply, sanitation and waste management, energy and sustainable economic development. These activities are designed to contribute towards poverty reduction as defined in Albania’s National Strategy for Development and Integration 2007-13 (NSDI) and help Albania towards its goal of rapprochement to the EU.
German Embassy

German Embassy in Albania
Rruga Skënderbej 8
Tirana
Albania
Phone: +355 / 42 / 27 45 05
Fax: +355 / 42 / 23 34 97






