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Author: WeBalkans

Xhuljana Mucaj

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in YEA, YEA of the month.

Country: Albania Interests: Youth activism, Environment, Human Rights, Rule of Law.

“I am Xhuljana Mucaj graduated from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, obtaining a Master of Laws as a recipient of the prestigious Chevening Scholarship. This achievement adds to my previous successes, including a degree in jurisprudence from the University of Tirana and a degree in Business Administration from the Canadian Institute of Technology. As a Young European Ambassador, I have considered this platform to champion EU values, advocate for the rule of law, the fortification of democracy, and the integrity of public institutions. Noteworthy among my initiatives is the #IDECIDE campaign, conceived to raise awareness about the importance of free and fair elections while constantly opposing the culture of vote-buying phenomenon. I am eagerly committed to supporting vulnerable youth in rural areas and proposing substantial instruments that secure the future development of rural communities.”

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Euxhenio Fakaj

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in YEA.

Country: Albania

Interests: Film and photography, Music, Youth activism, Sport

Dear Sir/Madam,
I recently learned about the position level as Young European Ambassador in Western Balkans. I am Euxhenio Fakaj, and I am 26 years old. I believe I
have many skills that make me an excellent candidate for this opportunity. I also have a background in
building strong and friendly relationships. Please consider my application for this position, while I promise to dedicate and to give my best learning and sharing the value of Europe.
Best Regards,
Euxhenio Fakaj

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Paloka Xhulia

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in YEA.

Country: Albania

Interests: Film and photography, Music, Youth activism

I am Xhulia Paloka.I am 18 years old and I have just finished high school.
My hobbies are photography and music.Accept of speaking very well english and spanish, I have just started learning japanese.I also like reading books.In my third period of high school I have participated in different olimpiads like in Math and Literature subjects.
Also I was a competetor of Junior Achievment of Albania and we won the third place. am starting the university and I will be studying about economics.

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Daniela Kortoçi

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in YEA.

Country: Albania

Interests: Media, arts and culture, Human Rights

I am a versatile woman driven by curiosity and a passion for creativity. I hold a degree in Civil Engineering and a second degree in Restoration of Cultural Monuments, combining my love for heritage preservation with sustainable development initiatives. For the past three years, I have been part of the engineering team in the #EU4Culture program, restoring back the cultural heritage damaged by the 2019 earthquake.

In addition to my professional endeavors, I am an author with two published poetry collections. Through my personal blog, I advocate for women’s empowerment and the girls’ right to education.

Since 2020, I have been an active member of the Young European Ambassador Network, and the Entity Coordinator for YEAs in Albania for two years. In this leadership role, I have demonstrated exceptional managerial skills and organized numerous events at both Regional and European levels.

My current aspiration is to empower young people in rural areas and contribute to preserving cultural heritage as a means of fostering inclusion, equality, and a sense of belonging.

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Ervis Shehu

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in YEA.

Country: Albania

Interests: Youth activism

I am Ervis Shehu, from Albania, i have a bachelor degree in Poltical Science, and a masters of science in International Relations, as a postgraduate student I always have shown interest in the Albanian path towards the EU, but unfortunately our political class has failed to realise the biggest dream of all Albanians, to integrate Albania in big family of EU. I believe that this will happen very soon an this historical dream will become true.

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Evgjenia Greku

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in YEA.

Country: Albania

Interests: Arts and design, Film and photography, Youth activism,Environment

I am an Albanian with a great experience in international living, studying and working. As a recent graduate I am looking for a channel through which I can express my profound interest in European integration, sustainability and development. As an Albanian I intent to represent the vast number of students and young people seeking for international opportunities and aiming to touch the real European feeling.
I believe that my committment and passion for this field will bring out my best version!

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Adrijana Nikitovic

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in YEA.

Country: Serbia Interests: Film and photography, Youth activism, Sport

My name is Adrijana Nikitovic and I am a Political Science-International Relations student from Belgrade, Serbia. I am currently the voice of young people from the Western Balkans through my engagement in the WeBalkans project, as a Country Coordinator for Serbia and a Young European Ambassador. Through my involvement in the Youth Forum of the European Movement in Serbia, I advocate for topics such as human rights, education, gender equality and ecology. In Serbia, I worked on a Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development project as a PR team member, to promote dual education, and volunteered in more than 20 sports championships and international tournaments. My international experience derives from participation in long-term EVS in Croatia, where I used to work for an NGO-Roma National Council, and from many youth exchanges, training courses and seminars as a part of the Erasmus Plus program. I was an activist of “thistimeImvoting” campaign, which is the official campaign of the European Parliament, intending to promote European values and motivate young people to vote, and I am continuing my activism by joining the “together.eu” campaign.

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EU approves €100 million for post-earthquake reconstruction in Albania

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The European Commission has adopted a €100 million package to support the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Albania following the November 2019 earthquake. This funding is part of the total European Commission pledge of €115 million made at the International Donors’ Conference Together for Albania, earlier this year.

 

The EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, said: “With the adoption of this €100 million financial package, the European Union is living up to its commitment to help Albania in the reconstruction efforts following the earthquake, just as we are also supporting the country to address the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. We have delivered on our promise to stand by the citizens of Albania and renewed our support to Albania and its European future.”

 

The newly adopted programme will focus on the renovation and reconstruction of education facilities, to allow children to return to school with better conditions and facilities. It will build on the work already initiated under the existing €15 million reconstruction programme financed by the European Commission. The programme will also support the repair of damaged cultural heritage sites.

 

All construction will follow the “Build Back Better” principle, applying sustainable building norms and reduce future risk, rebuilding safer and more disaster-resilient infrastructure and systems. The special measure will also bring improvements to energy efficiency.

High Representative / Vice President Josep Borrell met with the Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, met with the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Duško Marković, on 13 July. They exchanged views on Montenegro’s EU path and the political situation in the country in the run-up to the parliamentary elections scheduled for 30 August.

 

The High Representative and the Prime Minister discussed the Western Balkans’ revitalised EU integration process and Montenegro’s progress in its EU accession talks. High Representative Borrell welcomed the important milestone achieved by Montenegro in opening its last negotiating chapter on 30 June and stressed the importance of Montenegro continuing to demonstrate the concrete results of the country’s engagement in reforms.

 

Montenegro’s full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy and its contribution to EU peace missions around the world was also welcomed. The importance of continued work together in crucial security fields such as fighting terrorism and countering hybrid threats was also underlined during the discussion.

 

The High Representative and the Prime Minister touched upon the regional dimension too. High Representative / Vice President Borrell emphasised that good neighbourly relations, coordination and cooperation within the region remain an essential element of the enlargement process, and encouraged Montenegro to continue its decisive role in this regard.

 

Finally, they also discussed the impact of COVID-19 on Montenegro and the strong mutual solidarity between the EU and Montenegro since the outbreak of the pandemic. The EU is, and will remain, the largest and most reliable partner for the Western Balkan region in addressing the immediate, long-term and structural impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Niš-Sofija gas pipeline to bring natural gas supply and improve air quality in Serbia

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The planned construction of the Niš-Sofija gas pipeline is set for early 2021. This new natural gas connection will open development possibilities and new markets and contribute towards a cleaner environment.

 

The total value of the construction work is estimated at around €85 million, of which the European Union is financing €49.6 million. Citizens and businesses of the towns of Bela Palanka, Pirot, and Dimitrovgrad – previously unconnected – will now have access to gas for the first time.

 

The main objective for constructing a gas pipeline that will link existing transport systems of Serbia and Bulgaria is to increase the security of natural gas supply for Serbia. Serbia currently only has one point of supply, on the border with Hungary. However, once the Balkan Stream gas pipeline is constructed, the role of this original gas pipeline will not be diminished. Instead, it will allow Serbian consumers to receive gas from other sources. The projected capacity of 1.8 billion cubic metres of gas a year will meet 80% of Serbia’s current gas needs.