Dhermi, 12 June 2023 – the official Project Closing and 2nd Handover Ceremony took place at the Border Police station to hand over equipment worth EUR 2.4 million to the Border and Migration Police of the Albanian State Police of the Ministry of Interior of Albania.
The equipment was handed over in the framework of the EUR 6 million EU funded “EU support for the effective management of green and maritime borders in Albania (EU4SAFEALB)” project implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). The equipment will first and foremost allow rapid response for search and rescue operations as well as to counter illegal activities on Albania’s coastal border.
The representatives of the Albanian Ministry of Interior, the Delegation of the European Union, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and other national and international counterparts gathered for the Project Closing and Handover Event.
“The equipment handed over today highlights the solid cooperation between the EU and Albania in the area of border management and fight against organised crime. It makes the border police stronger and more effective to provide better security to Albanians, and also helps prepare Albania towards EU membership. I take this opportunity to thank all the frontline operators for their daily work and confirm that the EU stays committed to supporting you in your work” said Christiane Hohmann, EU Ambassador to Albania.
This event also marked the end of the EU4SAFEALB project, which was part of a wider EU assistance package focusing on the modernisation of Albanian law enforcement and customs agencies, which totals over EUR 30 million of investment in the last 7 years.