Experience gained by Poland during the transformation period and the success in the development of our economy in recent years can be a model for our partners. We offer our support in various areas in which our country has extensive experience

- said Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak, Deputy Minister of Funds and Regional Policy.

The aim of the conference was to show how the twinning project responds to Albania's road transport challenges. The event was also an opportunity to sum up the activities undertaken so far by the Albanian road authorities and the project partners.

The project "Strengthening the capacity of the Albanian Road Authority in applying good governance practices for planning, managing, procuring, implementing and maintaining road investments" is carried out by experts from the Polish Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (PL), the Centre for EU Transport Projects (PL), the Public Procurement Office (PL), and the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Economy, Transport and Infrastructure.

The main beneficiary of the project is the Albanian Roads Authority (ARA), an Albanian road manager, the equivalent of the Polish GDDKiA. The budget for the project is EUR 1,300,000.00. The implementation of the two-year project started in autumn 2019.

Its implementation contributes to improving the quality of transport system management. The implemented solutions will have an impact on increased efficiency and administrative capacity of ARA and other Albanian institutions cooperating in this area.

As part of this project, Polish experts also transfer their knowledge and experience by strengthening the capacity of the Albanian administration to identify, implement and maintain infrastructure projects.

The expected results concern both the assistance in adapting the existing legislation and the relevant public procurement procedures to EU standards and improving road safety, and the preparation of a concept and plan for reforming this institution.

Twinning is a programme created on the initiative of the European Commission, whose main objective is to support public institutions and contribute to the development of modern administration. Twinning is, above all, partnership cooperation, which consists of sharing the best practices and standards of the European Union. It allows the establishment of long-term contacts between partners.

Poland highly values cooperation with Albania as an ambitious candidate for European Union membership

- the Deputy Minister added.

The Albanian Roads Authority is an agency that manages one of the biggest pool of national assets, and has among the biggest resources allocations in Albania. This makes ARA an extremely important actor not only in the transport sector, but also in the overall public sector. And because road transport is so important for the economy, ARA activities and performance has a large impact on private sector enterprises, too. I wish that through the support of the EU twinning project, ARA become a success story in its role as the main agency in charge for management and maintenance of one of the biggest country assets – the National Road Network integrated in the WB6 network and to the EU

- said Andrea Vera, First Secretary and Head of the Economic Governance Section at the Delegation of the European Union to Albania.

For many years, twinning projects have been one of the most important mechanisms of cooperation between the Member States of the European Union and candidate countries.