January 8 (SeeNews) - Albanian prime minister Edi Rama said on Monday he has proposed to president Bajram Begaj to establish a new ministry in charge of economy, culture and innovation in a bid to strengthen coordination among the sectors in the digital age.
The current general director of Albania's road transport authority, Blendi Gonxhja, has been named to head the new ministry, Rama said in a social media post. He credited Gonxhja with the modernization of the road authority in accordance with European Union standards.
The proposed new ministry will take over the economy department of the current ministry of finance and economy, while the ministry of culture will be restructured into a department within the new ministry, Rama noted.
The setting up of a separate ministry in charge of innovation comes in the wake of the government's August decision to set up innovation departments at all existing ministries.
In September, Rama announced a thorough cabinet reshuffle in a move to adjust the government's priorities with a focus on strengthening the justice system and transforming the country into an upscale tourism destination.
Albania applied for EU membership in April 2009 and was granted EU candidate status in June 2014. On 19 July 2022, the EU held its first intergovernmental conference with Albania regarding EU accession, with legal alignment with the union being one of the key progress indicators.