TIRANA, May 21, 2022 – How safe does Albania feel in the context of the war in Ukraine? Are there any efforts to build capacities in the field of cyber-defense? What will be Albania’s role as part of the United Nations Security Council in these two years? How are the procedures to turn the Kucova air base into a NATO base going?
These and other fascinating questions are finding answers and deliberations in the week-long sessions that the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) is organizing in Tirana with the help of the NATO Public Diplomacy Division.
“We are working with journalism students mostly, the de facto future generation of Albanian journalists, – says Alba Cela, AIIS Executive Director, – since we know how much the Albanian public depends on media to get informed but also to keep its euro-Atlantic support at positive high levels.”
A cadre of selected speakers with considerable field experience has been working with the participants, often holding long and vivid discussions that address controversies but also tackling disinformation and conspiracy theories which run rampant online. Former and current diplomats, seasoned journalists and communication experts alongside academics make up the list of speakers in this prestigious project.
Topics include also the peddling of influence from third powers, organized crime as a security threat and the Women Peace and Security agenda, one of the key priorities of Albania in the UNSC.
“I am privileged to be part of the security school – says Eraldo, a young researcher. -It’s a different thing, it’s much more instructive to be able to speak about these complex topics with people that have had to cover them in real life.”
AIIS has been praised for its program of security projects, ranked consistently as one of the best in the region when it comes to security and foreign policy. AIIS has worked with NATO PDD for many years primarily in the field of capacity building and awareness.
