On the picture Mr. Redi Molla, Director of Tirana Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (UKT)]; H.E. Ms. Adia Sakiqi, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania in the Netherlands; and Mr. Erion Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana.
The Mayor of the Albanian capital Tirana, Mr. Erion Veliaj, was welcomed in the Netherlands during October 30th and 31st 2017, as a guest at the Amsterdam International Water Week (IWW).
His speech “Tirana’s smart city solutions and green infrastructure as an efficient means in tackling climate change challenges” contributed to the debate of the Resilient Cities Leaders Forum (RCLF) on how cities think about global risks, mitigate them and strengthen resilience.
Mr. Veliaj held several meetings at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. During these meetings, a wide array of economic sectors- ranging from tourism to port management, water, agriculture, energy, textile, engineering and architecture- were discussed with a view to future collaborations.
Furthermore, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of drinking water and wastewater collection and treatment was signed marking a crucial phase: enhancing and strengthening the bilateral partnership in the pillar sectors of the Albanian economy. Witnessing this signature and supporting this partnership were the Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj, RVO, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Tirana and the Embassy of Albania, The Netherlands. This is considered as a major stepping stone towards promoting and fostering the future cooperation with Albania.
Lastly, Mr. Veliaj held a lecture at the Erasmus Rotterdam University on the topic ‘How can the Western countries promote and be the drive towards the EU integration – the case of Albania’. Mr. Veliaj presented the transformation of Tirana in the last two years and offered his vision of the future.
The lecture sought to bring together excellence Albanian students and intellectuals who did not resist sharing their enthusiasm and commitment to do something for the future of Albania. Furthermore, Mr. Veliaj stressed the importance of the free economic area for foreign investments in Albania.
Another highlight of this event was the artistic performance of Ms. Alina Fejzo, an Albanian dancer currently touring with Krisztina de Châtel / V A Wölfl-Thron in the Netherlands. Her modern dance performance was met with the applause of the audience. As Mr. Martin Sobota, architect, observed after this stellar performance: ‘sometimes we forget how many talents come from such a small country like Albania’.
Ending on this high note, the positive attitude of both the Dutch and Albanian representatives deserves remark; portending enhanced collaboration between the two partners and signifying shared eagerness towards what the future will bring.
——-
Photography by the Albanian Embassy in The Hague.
