TIRANA, ALBANIA--The Minister of State for Local Issues, Mr. Bledi Çuçi, and the USAID Albania Country Representative, Mr. Marcus Johnson, participated today in the first consultative roundtable organized to discuss the new law on the organization and functioning of local governance in Albania. USAID is supporting the Government of Albania to draft the law to reflect current economic and territorial changes which will allow better management of local resources and provision of services for Albanian citizens. The purpose of the meeting was to gather stakeholders to share insights on the current law and elicit input on the vision and structure of the new law. 

Mayors from partner local governments of USAID’s Planning and Local Governance Project and the Swiss-funded Decentralization and Local Development Programme , along with representatives of local government associations and other stakeholders participated.

USAID’s Planning and Local Governance Project works to strengthen local governance in Albania and implement decentralization legislation and policies by providing technical assistance and training to the Government of Albania and to Albanian local government institutions.