OSCE to assist Albania’s property restitution process

TIRANA, Aug. 22 – Shaban Memia of the property restitution agency met with Pavel Vacek, head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, who promised further support in the project. The OSCE will make or fund registration of 7,000 new properties in the district of Tirana and 8,000 in the southwestern port city of Vlora, mainly in those areas which the agency considers of high priority. The OSCE was offered the data in discs and the map of some 17,000 property objects. The OSCE in Albania has assisted the Albanian authorities through the preparation of a property value map for the region of Tirana. This map, which would serve as a model for similar work in the rest of Albania, is a key element in accelerating the compensation process for the whole country. The OSCE has also provided training for property commissioners, drafted sub-legal acts and donated office equipment to the proper authorities.