TIRANA, July 20 – Preparations to establish the Western Balkans Fund, an international organization established by six EU aspirant Western Balkans countries that will have its headquarters in Tirana, are in their final stage, Gjergj Murra, the Albanian executive director – designate said at a meeting with civil society organizations.
The Western Balkans Fund, the first regional international organization to have its seat in Tirana, is a cooperation platform between Albania, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, that will promote common values and develop regional cooperation between citizens, civil society and institutions of the Western Balkans region, providing a concrete “people-to-people” approach based on the already successful model of the Visegrad Fund, a Bratislava-based international organization founded in 2000 by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
“We want to give people and especially youth the possibility to know each other better and assist in the reconciliation process,” said Murra at a meeting in the Polish embassy on Wednesday.
Lack of communication and stereotypes of the past still hold back communication among Western Balkans countries aspiring to join the EU.
“The purpose of the Western Balkans Fund modeled on the Videgrad Fund is promote common values and regional cooperation. For the first time the regional governments have decided to put aside money to support local NGOs for common projects,” said Murra.
Beata Jaczewska, the executive director of the International Visigrad Fund, whose rotating presidency is currently held by Poland, and is assisting the establishment of the Western Balkans Fund, elaborated how the Visegrad Fund (V4) has helped facilitate and promote the development of closer cooperation among citizens and institutions in the region as well as between the V4 region and other countries, especially in the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership regions during the past 16 years.
“We are in the process of making funding easier. It is the quality of the project that is decisive in funding. We provide small support with a big impact on the people affected. We also pay huge attention to cultural cooperation to encourage relations between neighbors,” said Jaczewska, calling on local Albanian NGOs to apply for funding.
The Visegrad Fund operates several grant programs, and also awards individual scholarships, fellowships and artist residencies. Grant support is given to original projects namely in the areas of culture, science and research, youth exchanges, cross-border cooperation and tourism promotion, as well as in other priority areas.
During the past 16 years, the Fund has awarded over 6,000 grant projects, individual scholarships and artists-in-residence arrangements in more than 35 countries in total worth more than €61 million.
Reporting to Albania’s Parliament earlier this year, Gjergj Murra said the six regional member countries will initially contribute a modest Euro 30,000 each for the Fund’s operation, but its success will depend on attracting funds from the EU and other donors.
Another important organization, the Regional Youth Cooperation Office in the Western Balkans, will also have its seat in Albania. The office aims to further encourage youth cooperation, mutual understanding and exchange of experiences, with a view to strengthening stability, sustainable development and progress in the Western Balkan region.
