OSCE Presence in Albania organizes cross-border meeting against violent extremism

On 5 July 2021, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a cross-border meeting of Albanian and North Macedonian officials to discuss co-operation against violent extremism, in Pogradec, Albania.

The event — organized jointly with the National Coordination Centre on Countering Violent Extremism — was attended by countering violent extremism (CVE) co-ordinators from both countries, representatives of local government, police and religious communities, as well as officials of the OSCE Mission in Skopje and the OSCE Presence in Albania, including the Deputy Head of Presence.

Participants discussed the current level of co-operation between the two countries in the field of violent extremism and the benefits of a multi-agency approach with active engagement of youth and women. They also shared their main challenges while working on prevention of violent extremism and their experiences with reintegration approaches for citizens repatriated from conflict zones.

The partnership with the National Coordination Centre on Countering Violent Extremism is part of the OSCE Presence in Albania’s work to improve multi-agency response to effectively address security issues, including violent extremism and radicalization. The Presence and the Centre will continue to synchronize the activities of national and local actors through a series of outreach meetings across Albania with the active participation of professionals from neighbouring countries.