Minister Hasani meeting with youth at MEPJ: Strengthening engagement with youth, the foundation of the development of a democratic society

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, held a conversation with high school students, within the framework of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe.

In his welcoming speech, Minister Hasani emphasized the importance of education for democratic citizenship, as he described it as the foundation of a fair and equal society.

"In the 29 years since Albania's membership in the Council of Europe, our country has undergone an extraordinary transformation. We must build a better future for all. And the right way to do this is to cooperate with you, to engage with the youth, which are the ones who have always made the difference in our country", the Minister underlined.

Also present at this activity was Giulia Re, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, who emphasized that this meeting was a good way to emphasize how important education is and how much more we should focus on it.

"There is a renewed focus of the Council of Europe, to work with young people and for young people. We have a duty to provide education to all children and young people towards democratic values. Democracy should be a way of life and schools are the best place for young generations to learn about democracy, but also about human rights, freedom, respect for others and tolerance," she said.

This activity, organized by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, gathered students from five high schools in Tirana: Sami Frashëri, Qemal Stafa, Protagonists, Eqerem Çabej and Aleks Buda, accompanied by theirs teachers.

The conversation was part of ongoing efforts to increase the quality of education in Albania and to promote a democratic culture through education. The project "Strengthening Education for Democratic Citizenship in Albania" is implemented by the Council of Europe and financed by the Swedish Agency for International Cooperation and Development, starting from December 2019 and expected to end in May 2026 and involving 75 schools in place.