Bilateral meeting of editors-in-chief from Albania and Bulgaria

This project was a follow-up of ACCESS’ Balkan Neighbours Club Project, which ended in 2002. As such, it revived its main idea and format of organizing a bilateral meeting of editors-in-chief of the Balkan mainstream media. This time the event took place in Albania and the participants were Albanian and Bulgarian editors-in-chief and other representatives of both countries’ mainstream media.

This initiative was the seventh one in succession that brought editors-in-chief together and offered them an opportunity to share opinions (the previous ones were held in Bucharest, Romania, 18-19 February 2000; in Skopije, Macedonia, 12-14 May 2000; in Sofia, Bulgaria, 2-4 February 2001; in Athens, Greece, 14-16 February 2001; in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, 13-15 December 2001, and in Istanbul, Turkey, 5-10 July 2002).

At the two-day meeting in Albania, the participants from the two countries had discussions on topics of mutual interest. In addition, they had meetings with the President of Albania, with the Albanian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, with the Albanian Minister of European Integration, with the Mayor of Tirana, with the Former Albanian President and leader of the opposition and with the Bulgarian Ambassador in Tirana.