Albania became member of the Council of Europe on 13 July 1995. Following its accession, a Council of Europe presence, headed by a Special Representative of the Secretary General, was established in Albania. It was succeeded in June 2003 by the establishment of a Council of Europe Information Office.

In January 2011, based on Resolution (2010)5 on the Status of Council of Europe Offices, adopted by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in July 2010, and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Council of Europe and the Albanian Government to establish the Council of Europe Office in Tirana as a new institutional form of co-operation, replacing the previous Information Office.

As the representation of the Secretary General in Albania, the Council of Europe Office in Tirana enhances the visibility of the Organisation’s actions, ensures effective co-ordination between its Headquarters in Strasbourg and domestic stakeholders, and facilitates co-operation with international partners.

Currently, the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, led by the Head of Office, implements fourteen actions and projects under the authority of the respective Council of Europe Directorates General. Six of these are part of the Horizontal Facility programme, a co-operation framework of the European Union and the Council of Europe, that assists beneficiaries from the Western Balkans and Türkiye in complying with the European standards. These actions focus on four main areas: (1) ensuring justice; (2) fighting corruption, economic crime and organised crime; (3) promoting anti-discrimination & protecting the rights of vulnerable groups, and (4) freedom of media.

Other important initiatives  implemented in core areas include: democratic citizenship education (supported by the Swedish Development Agency); public administration reform and electoral integrity (supported by the German Government); promoting freedom of expression and support to the electoral cycle (European Union/Council of Europe Joint Programmes) and fight against economic crimes (supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation and the Swiss Confederation/State Secretariat for Economic Affairs).

In addition, the Office actively supports Roma integration by working closely with national institutions and civil society, to promote equality, inclusion, and the protection of Roma rights in Albania.

Beyond national interventions, the Council of Europe Office in Tirana also contributes to regional actions, part of the Horizontal Facility framework or other regional initiatives, such as promoting deliberative democracy in South-East Europe, and linking human rights with a sustainable environment in the region.