TIRANA — The 8th edition of the Tirana Connectivity Forum (TCF22) will take place between the 26-28th of September in Durrës and Tirana. Organized by the Cooperation and Development Institute – CDI, Tirana Connectivity Forum is a yearly event that provides insights, organizes informed debates and produces practical recommendations about connectivity in South East Europe 6 (SEE6) and the EU, and how it impacts growth, development, reforms, regional cooperation and the Enlargement dynamics.
This year, under the main title “Securely Connected” m TCF22 will be composed of three main blocks extended over three days.
First day will focus on secure and Resilient Infrastructure, the new Western Balkans European Transport Corridor through the waterborne component of the Rhine – Danube corridor and the maritime Adriatic ports, and the rail component of Corridor VIII that connects the Adriatic with the Black Sea.
Organized on the premises of the Port of Durres, the first day will conclude with a specific panel where National IPA Coordinators from the region and international financial institutions will outline the impact that resilience and climate change have during the infrastructure planning phase, and on their funding.
“Secure and Well Governed Institutions”, will focus on the contribution of civil society actors in keeping the institutions healthy and well governed during the second day of Tirana Connectivity Forum.
This day will bring in the best cases on how civil society can engage in policy-making and in the project cycle management of infrastructure projects. An open discussion on the Common Regional Market/Green Agenda and in the Berlin Process 2.0. will try to identify entry points and mechanisms that allow CSO to SEE6 represent citizens’ interest in those endeavors, as well as to contribute to their implementation.
The 2nd day will conclude with a discussion with EU Member State Special Envoys for Western Balkans from Germany, Greece, Austria, and Netherlands on reforms, Enlargement, the current geopolitical context and their role in supporting SEE6 countries in their EU path.
During the third-day participants will discuss secure and future-proof Enlargement with the role of youth in sectoral policies applied in SEE6, and how to build up on the legacy of the European Year of Youth (EYY) and of Tirana European Youth Capital 2022 (TEYC22). After presenting the main achievements of EYY and TEYC22, youth representatives and policymakers will debate on why and how to mainstream youth demands in EU and national sector policies.