GMF staff joining: Edouard de Tinguy (Program Officer at the GMF Paris Office)

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1 TIRANA, ALBANIA Hotel: Tirana International Hotel(TBC) City Coordinator: Erisa Cela Institute For Democracy and Mediation Tirana, Albania GMF staff joining: Edouard de Tinguy (Program Officer at the GMF Paris Office) Please bring your agenda and city maps at all time Dress code: business and casual business Republic of Albania is a country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west, and on the Ionian Sea to the southwest. It is less than 72 km (45 miles) from Italy, across the Strait of Otranto which links the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea. Albania is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Council of Europe, World Trade Organisation, Organisation of the Islamic Conference and one of the founding members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Albania has been a potential candidate for accession to the European Union since January 2003, and it formally applied for EU membership on 28 April 2009.Albania is a parliamentary democracy and a transition economy. The Albanian capital Tirana, is home to approximately 727,000 of the country's 3.6 million people, and it is also the financial capital of the country. Friday, March 12 10:00 AM -4:30 PM ARRIVAL/HOTEL CHECK IN Transfer from Mother Teresa airport to Hotel. Look for a sign saying GMF 5:30 PM MEET IN THE HOTEL LOBBY 7:00 8:00 PM INTRODUCTION TO ALBANIA: AMERICAN-ALBANIAN RELATIONS Meeting at the American Embassy in Albania (tentative) Location: American Embassy in Tirana

2 8:00 PM DINNER WITH CIVIL SOCIETY AND ACADEMIA (CONFIRMED) Venue: White House, (with Albanian Traditional Food and Music) Gjergj Vurmo, Institute for Democracy and Mediation, EU Integration Expert (Confirmed) Olsi Lelaj, Anthropologist Professor, UFO University, Faculty of Social Sciences (Confirmed) Enis Sulstarova, Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, Expert on National Identities in the Balkans (TBC) Mirela Arqimendriti, Executive Director of Gender Alliance for Development Centre (Confirmed) Bujar Taho UNDP Albania, Manager of Volunteers Project on the Protection of Roma Minority in Albania (Confirmed) Saturday, March 13 9:00 AM BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL 10:15 AM MEET IN THE HOTEL LOBBY 10:30 AM - 16:00 PM TIRANA CITY TOUR CASUAL DRESS AND WALKING SHOES Walking, Minibus (National Museum of History, Gallery of Arts; A tour of Albanian Mosques and Muslim community in Albania, Tirana Architecture: Communism and Post-Communism and other important sightseeing) FREE EVENING TO REST OR EXPLORE THE CITY TIRANA BY NIGHT Suggestions will be provided Sunday March 14 9:50 AM MEET IN THE HOTEL LOBBY 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM DAY EXCURSION TO KRUJA CASUAL DRESS AND WALKING SHOES Krujë is the capital city of the District of Krujë in Albania. It has a population of about 20,000 inhabitants. Krujë is best known as the hometown of Albania's national hero, Skanderbeg, from where the Ottomans were successfully resisted for nearly 35 years from 1443 until The castle of Krujë was successfully defended in four sieges conducted by Ottoman forces before final capitulation shortly after the death of Gjergj Kastrioti (Skanderbeg).The city's name comes from the Albanian word for spring, krua. Krujë is a tourist attraction alongside a panoramic mountainside location. Some of the main points of interest include the restored castle and citadel, the Skanderbeg

3 Museum located inside the castle, and the old restored bazaar. The citadel includes a restored house from the Ottoman epoch that serves as the Ethnographic Museum. Monday, March 15 8:30-9:30 AM BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL 10:15 AM MEET IN THE HOTEL LOBBY 10:30-11:30 AM MORNING COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR S ADVISOR ON PUBLIC RELATIONS (TENTATIVE) Meeting with Mrs. Edlira Toci Location: Tirana Municipality 12:00-1:30 PM ALBANIAN CENTRE FOR COMPETITIVENESS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (CONFIRMED) Briefing by MR. GENTIAN ELEZI- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Location: ACCI Offices 2:00-3:15 PM LUNCH (CONFIRMED) Meeting with IDM Staff Venue: Restaurant Vinium, Institute for Democracy and Mediation is a non-governmental think-tank founded in 1999 by a group of Albanian scholars with the desire and commitment to address the problems facing Albanian s democracy, through mediation between institutions, community and groups. IDM puts its efforts to foster confidence between political and civic actors for building democratic and prosperous society inclined towards Euro-Atlantic integrations. IDM s key program areas include: EU Integration Security Sector Governance Local Government and community participation Promoting governance accountability and transparency Organizational and capacity building of public institutions Legal Initiatives for improved legal framework 3:30-4:30 PM SOROS FOUNDATION IN ALBANIA MEETING WITH MR. ANDI DOBRUSHI, HEAD OF SOROS ALBANIA(CONFIRMED) Location : Soros Offices 5:00 PM EUROPEAN MOVEMENT IN ALBANIA (CONFIRMED) Briefing by Mr. Gledis Gjipali, Executive Director Location: EMA Offices

4 The European Movement in Albania (EMA) is an independent organization, organized in the form of an NGO combining think tank and advocacy instruments. European Movement in Albania was established in February 2007 and became member of European Movement International. TUESDAY, MARCH 16 8:30-9:30 AM BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL 9:40 AM MEET IN THE HOTEL LOBBY 10:00-11:00AM ALBANIAN SOCIALIST YOUTH FORUM, SOCIALIST PARTY (MAJOR OPPOSITION PARTY IN THE COUNTRY ) MEETING WITH MS. ELISA SPIROPALI, HEAD OF FRESH (CONFIRMED) LOCATION: HEADQUARTERS OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY IN ALBANIA 11:30-12:30AM ALBANIAN DEMOCRATIC YOUTH FORUM, DEMOCRATIC PARTY (RULING PARTY ) MEETING WITH MR. GERT BOGDANI, HEAD OF FRD (TENTATIVE) LOCATION: HEADQUARTERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN ALBANIA 12:30-14:00 LUNCH 14:00-17:00 INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENTS Tony Chan Issue: NGO-Corporate Partnerships / Community Development; how do multinational companies work with NGO s? VODAFONE Foundation Albania Shannan L. Hicks I ssue: Philanthropy and non-profits,. VODAFONE Foundation Albania Vodafone Albania Foundation is an independent legal entity. The foundation is supported by Vodafone Albania and The Vodafone Group Foundation which has developed a unique worldwide network of 24 foundations around the world in the last six years.the main aim of the foundation is to make a positive contribution to local communities by making direct grants to locally registered charities and global NGOs to fund projects that will make a social impact. Areas of focus include: education, health, social welfare and environment. These projects ultimately benefit people in need, especially children with special needs, as well as other vulnerable groups. Rodriguez : Issues: Funding and Operation of Public Transit System, Type of Organization: Mass Transit System Dora L Hughes Issue: Workforce, National Strategy for Health in Albania ( ), Type of Organization: ABC Health Foundation or ABC Family Health Center (workforce issue) Institute of Public Health (national strategy) Institute of Public Health in Albania or Ministry of Health

5 Ackerman, Issue: Fiscal and monetary policy / condition of the economy, Type of Organization: Bank of Albania Bjorn Skogquist: American Chamber of Commerce or/and Cofindustria 19:30 FAREWELL DINNER (INFORMAL CONVERSATION WITH PROFESSOR FATOS TARIFA, FORMER ALBANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE USA; (TENTATIVE) Wednesday, October 17 DEPARTURES Minivan will await you in front of the hotel at 3:00 am.