A delegation from the Albanian IPARD Managing Authority and the National Authorising Officer (NAO) paid an official visit to the IPARD Managing Authority of our Ministry on 14 May 2025.
The meeting was attended by Eranda Selmanaj, Head of the Albanian IPARD Managing Authority; Dritan Fino, Director General of the Management Structure; Blerta Rrumbullaku, Head of the NAO Support Office; and Hasan Hüseyin Han, Head of Department for the EU Structural Adjustment Management Authority under the General Directorate of Agricultural Reform, along with technical staff from the central organization of our Ministry. Representatives and staff members from the Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution (TKDK) also participated in the meeting.
In his opening remarks, Hasan Hüseyin Han, Head of Department for the EU Structural Adjustment and Management Authority, expressed his satisfaction at bringing together the Albanian IPARD structures under the same platform and emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the fields of agriculture and rural development. He stated that Türkiye would be pleased to share all the knowledge, experience, and best practices gained through the implementation of the IPARD Programme since 2011 and to continue close cooperation with Albania.
During the meeting, a comprehensive presentation was delivered on the duties and responsibilities of the IPARD Managing Authority. In addition, Türkiye shared its experiences as the first IPARD country to implement both the LEADER approach and the Advisory Services Measure. Information and experiences were also exchanged on agri-environment measures, monitoring and evaluation processes, reporting activities, and communication and visibility actions.
Following the presentations, the questions raised by the Albanian delegation were addressed, and views were exchanged on various aspects of IPARD implementation. The Albanian delegation underlined that Türkiye’s successful implementation of the IPARD Programme over the years has attracted considerable international attention and stated that this success was one of the main reasons behind organizing the visit.
The visit is expected to contribute to the enhancement of institutional capacity by increasing the exchange of knowledge and experience between the two countries regarding IPARD implementation.
This visit is considered an important step in sharing Türkiye’s expertise and experience in agriculture and rural development with the friendly and brotherly country of Albania.