TIRANA (Albania), February 14 (SeeNews) – Albania has started the implementation of a EU-funded project for providing technical assistance to key law enforcement agencies in the country with the aim of bringing them closer to EU standards, the ministry of the interior said.
The PAMECA V project has a key role in deepening the cooperation between Albania and the EU partner countries in the fight against organized crime, the minister of the interior Fatmir Xhafaj said in a press release following a meeting with EU ambassador in Pristina Romana Vlahutin and representatives of the general prosecution office, police and ambassadors of the EU countries which support the project.
“Organized crime is a phenomenon that knows no boundaries and that's why we all have to work together,” Vlahutin said.
The beneficiaries of the project are the ministry of the interior, police and the general prosecution office.
This project is funded with 6 million euro ($7.4 million) by the EU under the IPA 2015 instrument. It is being implemented by the government of Italy as the main partner in consortium with Austria and France.
The overall objective of PAMECA V is to improve the capacities of key Albanian law enforcement agencies and their supporting structures in meeting their objectives and responding to local community needs in terms of public security and border management challenges.
The PAMECA projects started in 2002 and have operated in the framework of the assistance that the EU has given to Albania in the area of law enforcement and security and public order.
Albania was granted EU candidate status in 2014 and hopes to launch membership negotiations this year.
($ = 0.81086 euro)