EU’s Criminal Justice Project for the Western Balkans, General Prosecutors meeting in Tirana

The General and Special Prosecutors from across the Western Balkans gathered in Tirana for a meeting facilitated by the EU’s Criminal Justice project for the Western Balkans.

The purpose of the meeting was to combat international organized crime networks, strengthen cross-border cooperation in justice, build trust among prosecutors in the region, and provide EU assistance, particularly through Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation.

Present at the forum, in his opening speech, the President of Eurojust, Michael Schmid, stated that “the Western Balkans is a very important partner of Eurojust.” He noted that the organization he leads seeks to improve and increase the level of cooperation with the Western Balkans.

“We believe that the project for the Western Balkans is effective in achieving this. The main objective is to increase mutual trust and knowledge among prosecutors and judges to enhance cross-border cooperation in the region and among EU countries,” emphasized Schmid.

Schmid expressed that “since the first forum organized by Montenegro, there have been many identified cases regarding online fraud, and hundreds of suspects have been arrested, with a very high number of illegal goods confiscated.”

The European Union Ambassador in Tirana, Silvio Gonzato, focused in his speech on the close cooperation between justice and law enforcement actors across borders as a key moment in combating cross-border crime.

“Cross-border crime and corruption cause financial harm to our societies, hinder economic growth, and erode citizens’ trust in institutions. In Albania, we have seen an increase in the number of high-profile cases targeting cross-border organized crime, money laundering, and corruption, which have been successfully investigated and prosecuted through judicial cooperation with EU member states and EU agencies,” he stated.

“Concrete results in the fight against corruption and organized crime are an important factor in the progress of candidate countries towards EU membership. The EU will continue to support the judiciary and law enforcement agencies in Albania in their fight against organized crime and corruption,” emphasized EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato.

At the forum, the head of the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime in Albania, Altin Dumani, also spoke, stating that “the fight against organized crime is a battle that knows no geographical boundaries but requires close regional and international cooperation.”

According to him, “criminal groups and organizations are interconnected, and their dismantling requires coordinated work at the regional level.”

The General Prosecutor of Albania, Olsian Çela, stated that Albania, within the framework of the forum, will sign a memorandum of understanding with Montenegro that will have a positive bilateral effect towards coordinated regional action in justice matters. (June 18)