8 October 2021
TIRANA – The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and the Western Balkans Fund (WBF) signed a joint statement to continue enhancing cooperation on topics of joint interests. The ceremony took place at the RYCO premises in Tirana on Friday, 8 October, in the presence of high officials from the ministries of foreign affairs of the Western Balkans 6, and representatives of the two organizations.
Acknowledging the political complexity in the Western Balkans and the importance of regional cooperation in the EU integration processes of the whole region, RYCO Secretary-General Mr. Albert Hani and WBF Executive Director Mr. Gjergj Murra, jointly stated that the two organizations will remain dedicated to reconciliation processes in the Western Balkans 6 as well as to regional cooperation.
Moreover, “WBF and RYCO will keep supporting initiatives that bring the Western Balkans 6 closer together, as well as support each other’s promotion and announce their readiness to jointly organize a regional event “Creative industries – Potential for Development” in the upcoming period,” the statement reads.
“RYCO and WBF are the two closest partners in the Western Balkans. Besides the fact that we are like-minded organizations, we are also neighbors in Tirana since our premises are in the same building. These facts make it more important and easier to collaborate and jointly work on making the Western Balkans six closer together but also realizing the dreams of our peoples for a better future,” RYCO Secretary-General Mr Albert Hani underlined.
“Both our organizations are growing. We are growing in people, in ambitions, but above all in vision. As Mr. Hani already stated, we are neighbors, and I sincerely believe that we can turn the space we share into a unique hub of regional cooperation. I consider the signature of this joint statement to be a cornerstone of closer collaboration between our two organizations in the future”, added WBF Executive Director, Mr. Gjergj Murra.
RYCO and WBF already have a good track record of cooperation which has its foundation in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two organizations in December 2017.