Albania and NATO

---

Albania’s NATO membership

Albania left the Warszawa Pact in 1968 and was the first former Communist country to ask for membership in NATO in 1992. During the last twenty years, there was a consistent political consensus that Albania should join NATO. On April 1, Albania along with Croatia officially joined NATO during the last round of enlargement. The accession to the Alliance is the most important historic development in the history of Albania after the fall of communism. Gaining NATO membership not only recognized Albania’s significant progress towards a more stable democracy and market economy, but also strongly reaffirmed the Euro-Atlantic orientation of the country.
The AIIS with its research and public activities has remarkably contributed to process of preparing the Country for NATO membership.
The AIIS continues to contribute to keep the public informed about NATO as a collective security instrument, NATO’s role in a changing world and the new NATO strategic concept determined by a very dynamic security environment. An essential part of the AIIS activities are related to foreign and security policy issues, Albania’s role within the Alliance, NATO further enlargement, and NATO’s specific role in the Western Balkan.

---

Current Project 2010-2011

Assessing Albania’s NATO membership: Policy implications on domestics and foreign policy

Two years after Albania’s accession to NATO, it is time to understand and debate the actual perceptions of Albanians for NATO. Considering the overwhelming support and sky-high expectations Albanians had before the accession, it would be useful to explore:
the actual level of support for NATO; if the accession to NATO has fulfilled people’s sky-high expectations; people’s readiness to bear the costs of membership, taking into account that 2% of the country’s GDP goes for NATO; and, people’s readiness to accept that Albanian soldiers can lose their lives by taking part in risky military missions. In addition, it would be very important to examine: the implications of NATO membership in domestic and foreign politics of Albania; the relations with other countries in the region after the accession; Albanians’ views on the new strategic concept of NATO; as well as the expectations for the future of NATO. In order to respond to these questions, the AIIS will conduct a study and organize a series of pubic events.
The project is supported by US Embassy in Tirana, NATO Public Diplomacy Division

---

2010

Talking NATO and today’s security a series of public events in Albania.

The tour “One Year After NATO Membership: The Local Relevance” was organized in some Albanian cities and attracted the interest of the participants, especially that of students which were the main active participants of this activity. The tour, in particular, gave the possibility to the participants to expand their knowledge about NATO and its activity.
The Project was supported by NATP Public Diplomacy and US embassy IN Tirana

---

Completed Research Projects

Security Sector Reform in Albania
2009

A joint project with Initiative for Peace building (IfP) - a consortium led by International Alert and funded by the European Commission and ELIAMEP the Hellenic Foundation for European and foreign Policy Foundation .Security Sector Reform in Albania

The Study analyses security sector reform (SSR) in Albania. In all its enterprises in reforming the security sector, Albania is assisted by different initiatives and projects that provide expertise and financial support. To assess whether reforms improved the overall security environment (national and human) of the country, it is necessary to measure the effectiveness of the various initiatives and projects. This is gauged by how well the initiatives and projects achieved their defined goals, the level of coordination at the national and international level among those institutions working in the same specific field, and the sustainability and ownership of reforms. The evaluation of SSR in Albania is primarily based on official national documents, national legislation, situation reports of Albanian and international institutions related to reforms in the security sector, and national and international press coverage of security events and incidents.

---

Debating NATO Integration in Albania
2007 –2008

AIIS designed the project out of our concern that no study was conducted on the attitudes of the Albanian public regarding NATO membership. The project assessed the level of information and expectations of four elite groups of the Albanian society on NATO and Albania’s potential membership. The groups were the civil servants, military personnel, journalists and political analysts, and representatives of the civil society. The rationale behind the choice of the target groups was that because of their social position, they play a particular role as opinion leaders and decision makers. Therefore, the elite attitudes towards NATO are a good indicator of the attitudes of the Albanian population.
The project was funded by the US Embassy in Albania

AIIS European Program

---

In the last twenty years, the Albanian society has reached a remarkable unity of purpose around the process of European integration. Since 2002 AIIS has established the European Program. This program’s mission is to facilitate Albania’s EU integration process by providing the policy-making community with relevant literature, expertise and assistance.

To achieve its mission, AIIS European Program will:
• Support the European integration process through
• Encourage public debate and increase public awareness on challenges and opportunities of European integration
• Conduct policy impact research on governing practices in Albania and promote the principles of good governance
• Advice the Albanian government on the implementation of capacity building measures and human resources development in order to comply with EU membership criteria

---

Current Research and Studies

PRISNET: Network to empower volunteering work within the prison system in Europe and in the Western Balkans.
2011

AIIS is the Albanian Partner of Italian organization AGENFOR in the PRISNET project targeting inmates of various ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.

On July 8-9 all the partners involved in the PRISSNET regional project financed by the European Commission were hosted in Tirana Albania participating in the conference titled “ Minorities in the prisons of the Western Balkans”, a two day event followed by a field visit to an Albanian prison facility on the final third day. The conference was conceived to have an official and media event on Friday with the participation of key, high profile figures from the public administration, academia, civil society, international community, diplomacy, etc. The second day was devoted to more in depth experts’ discussions through Expert User Group (EUG) meetings, one for law enforcement agencies and one for civil society organizations (CSOs).

FRIDAY 8th July, 2011

The official launching event of this conference brought very high level participants form the Albanian government such as Minister of Internal Affairs Bujar Nishani, vice Minister and acting Minister of Justice Brikena Kasmi, several representatives an department executive directors from the Ministry of Justice, ministry of Labor, official representatives from State Committee for Minorities, People’s Advocate, the General directorate of Prisons of Albania (GDPA), etc. From the international community there was an official address form the head of the EU delegation in Albania, Ettore Sequi, participation also from different embassies such as the Italian Embassy, the Polish, Serbian, Bulgarian and Turkish one.

Conference gathered a vast array of civil society experts with experience in the field of human rights and minority rights and with specific ongoing projects in the prison system, legal professors and journalists. In his opening address, executive director of AIIS Albert Rakipi expressed the need to share different best practices between states in order to achieve European standards in all participating countries. Rakipi focused on some specificities of the Albanian society that have influenced the management of prisons in a positive way such a long tradition of religious harmony and coexistence between ethnic minorities.

AIIS head also mentioned the main approaches form which we can consider minority rights in prison including security concerns (radicalization and internal conflict) , the human rights point of view ( deprivation form liberty but not from other basic rights), and identity approach (the elements forming personal identity such as ethnic belonging and religion). Rakipi concluded that this conference goes beyond academic and scholarly curiosity to address potential recommendations important for the process of EU preparation.

Minister Nishani focused on the role of the institutions of penal execution (prisons) and especially their staff to reform the mentality of the society that has considered prisons for a long time as solely restricting facilities and has overlooked their function as facilities where the process of rehabilitation is carried out and also where the reintegration to the society has to start. Nishani appreciated the conference as an opportunity to hear valid outside opinions in order to improve the functioning of this system. Nishani expressed ample gratitude for the EU investments in the prisons’ system such as important infrastructure investment (both building and rehabilitating facilities) and also restructuring projects such as placing inmates in facilities that are geographically closer to their families (with a proven effect of reducing aggressive tendencies). Nishani stressed that both in public perception and most importantly in legislation as well there are no distinctions being made for the treatment of minorities be it in normal life but also in the prison system. Nishani stressed that discrimination is strictly prohibited by law and that Albania is unique in this region for having adopted a special Law against Discrimination and creating subsequently the office of the Commissioner for Protections against Discrimination. He mentioned also measures have been taken for the religion aspect: the creation of dedicated spaces for the practicing of religion inside facilities and the training of staff to accommodate and treat differences with respect and professionalism. Nishani mentioned report form the Anti-torture Committee form the Council of Europe that according to hi have evidenced improvements. Nishani concluded by welcoming initiatives of the civil society the aim at preventing radicalization as important and valuable contributions for the addressing of problems.

Brikena Kasmi, Vice Minister of Justice of Albania (there is currently no appointed Minister of Justice) focused on the legal strategies that have streamlined the respect for human rights into the laws and regulations adopted, respecting all obligation from international conventions. Kasmi mentioned that one of the main achievements is a contemporary regulation for the rights of inmates and the responsibilities of the prisons staff that is distributed in all relevant facilities and starting form 2010 separate specific regulations for each facility. Kasmi mentioned ongoing initiatives that have yet to be finalized such as the creation of the probation option and the alternative penalties that lead to less crowding of prison buildings. Kasmi mentioned that there are improvements in the access to medical assistance. Kasmi concluded by saying that strategic component should not be underestimated as it include concrete budgetary allocations for the realization of changes and needed improvements.

Ettore Sequi explained the focus of the EU in assisting Albania to come closer to European standards as far as the prisons system is concerned. According to Seqqui the antidiscrimination in difficult environments such as prisons is a true test for democratic values and principles. He cited Dostoyevsky in saying that the situation of prisons is indicative of the progress of a civilization. Sequi said that prisons by their very secluded, out-of-the public eye nature are places where people are vulnerable. Sequi mentioned that the 12 recommendations that the EU has given to Albania to fulfill before applying for the candidate status include specific references to the prisons and remand system. Sequi explained finally that Albania has still a way to go to transform its prisons to be fit for democracy such as creating a safe climate inside the facilities, allocating the proper budget to the sector and training the staff. Sequi repeated that the EU has pushed for the adoption of recommendations outlined by both the People’ Advocate and the Council of Europe.

The event followed with two key presentations from the Vice General Director of the Prisons, Iljaz Labi who outlined the situation in the prison as far as minorities are concerned from an institutional point of view.¹ This was followed by a presentation of Vjollca Mecaj, the executive director of the Albanian Helsinki Committee who presented some of the main observations from the civil society point of view as well as delved on some projects that focused on the issue at hand.²

1 - Download full presentation here.
2 - Download full presentation here.

SUNDAY 10th July, 2011

Having acquired prior permission from the GDPA and also having coordinated with the staff, AIIS organized a field visit to a prison facility in Tirana “Ali Demi 325” which features two separate sections, one for men and one for women. A delegation with project participants had the opportunity to visit the facility, talk to several members of the staff both from the security sector (guards, security officers) and social workers internal to the prison administration, examine the prayer rooms, libraries, courtyards of the facility as well as talk to some prisoners of foreign nationality and Roma community.

---

Albania and the EU: Together we grow
2010 - 2011

AIIS is convinced of the need to nourish, reorient and deepen the public debate on the European integration. With this project the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS)) will prepare a critical information package based on a programme series of 10 television fora, each centered on a short clip summarizing the topic of the day that is then discussed by EU affairs and integration experts, as well as policy makers. The clips that will serve as the pillars of each forum, will present the specific policy/topic through a common-citizen-centered, ‘human face’ approach.
The project is funded by the European Commission

---

The European Perspective of Albania
2010-2011

A long-term project started in 2002. Since then, AIIS has assessed annually the Albanians’ perceptions and level of knowledge on European Union and European integration process. AIIS is working now on a similar project. The research results would give us the possibility to formulate recommendations, to enhance public awareness and to reduce the misperceptions and false expectations on the Albanian membership in European Union.
The project was funded by the Spanish Embassy in Albania, AECID, and Friedrich Ebert Foundation

---

Empowering the Albanian Media to Monitor the Stabilisation and Association Process
July 2009 – July 2010
This project aimed to assist journalists in improving their understanding, monitoring and reporting of the SAp by creating an interactive website which serves now as a general source of information – it has easy to digest information on the SAA/SAP that journalists may need as a background for almost any reporting; a tailored source of information – through its interactive format, website content is regularly updated by AIIS staff in response to journalists’ questions and needs; a “prompt” – through its interactivity and membership option, the website aims to deliver member journalists prompts, notifications of relevant upcoming developments, trainings and professional opportunities accompanied by briefs explaining context and relevance.
The project was funded by the Delegation of the European Union in Albania

---

Completed Research Projects

“House of Europe – a platform for information, research, publication, debate, training and networking”
November 2008-November 2009
The overall objective of this project was to multiply and consolidate all efforts for promoting public debate in Albania into an integrated comprehensive information platform that served to kick off and then permanently nourished a well-informed public debate on European integration at multiple levels of the Albanian society. The 'House of Europe' was an all-encompassing platform of Information, Research, Debate, Training and Networking dedicated to this objective.
The project was funded by the European Commission

---

Albanian Business Community & European Integration Process- Greater Involvement through Awareness Building, Improved Access to Information and Capacities for Managing Information Flow
May 2007- April 2008

The objectives of the project are, first, to increase the level of knowledge on the European Union and the EU integration process. Second, the programme aims to increase the capacity of the business community to retrieve and process information on different EU programmes.
The project was funded by the Delegation of the European Commission in Albania, CARDS 2005