Secretary General Mori travelled to Albania on 11 and 12 October 2023 to discuss the ongoing work of the Congress in the Western Balkans with Albanian authorities and meet new stakeholders following the May 2023 elections and recent government changes.

He met with delegations of the local and regional associations of Albania, the Minister of State for Local Government, Arbjan Mazniku, the Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs, Romina Kuko, the Ombudswoman,  Erinda Ballanca, and with the Mayor of Tirana, Erion VeliaJ.

Speaking at the Local Self-Governments Forum in Tirana on the topic “Green cities: exchanging experiences across the region”, Secretary General Mori stressed the support and guidance the Congress has provided and will keep providing to local authorities across Europe to support their evolution towards greener practices and policies. He pointed out the work of the Congress on this area and mentioned the forthcoming revision of the European Urban Charter that will be adopted at the upcoming Congress Session. He called on mayors to play their role to ensure that the principles of urban governance set out in the Charter are upheld in cities and towns across the region.

The role and responsibilities of cities and regions in environmental matters are not explicitly recognised in many countries, whereas national and international climate plans can only be successful if they are implemented locally, he insisted, welcoming this Forum as a good platform to exchange best practices between local authorities on ways to deal with global crises like climate change.