A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding on the delivery of the Leadership Academy Program (LAP) of the Council of Europe in Albania was signed on 15 February between Claus Neukirch, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Albania, Fatmir Demneri, Director of the Albanian School of Public Administration and Erjon Tase, Director of the Academy of Political Studies.

This MoU formalises the co-operation initiated for the adaptation of the LAP curriculum in the Albanian context and its certification for training of senior civil servants from central and local administration. A group of Albanian experts will also be trained under the supervision of an international expert to be certified by the Council of Europe and ASPA as future trainers of the LAP in Albania. The LAP training is taking place in the framework of the project "Strengthening Local Governance Structures in Albania – Phase III" implemented by the CoE and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The ceremony was also attended by Jutta Gützkow, Head of Good Governance Division, DGII, Council of Europe, Albana Koçiu, Director of the Department of Public Administration, Elda Bagaviki, representative of the Swiss Embassy, ​​as well as other project managers operating in Albania focusing on local governance.