On 22 and 23 March 2022, at the invitation of Mr. Genti Gazheli, the Director General of Albania Customs, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) visited Tirana, Albania, to discuss Customs modernization and capacity building requirements.

During a meeting with the Customs management team, Director General Gazheli, who participated in the WCO Fellowship Programme in 1999, expressed his appreciation for the WCO’s long-standing support. Secretary General Mikuriya appreciated the continuous progress in Customs modernization in Albania. During a visit to Tirana Customs Terminal, which handles 40% of trade volume in the country, he observed the actual Customs operations with regards to paperless trade procedures as well as the functioning of the risk management system.

Secretary General Mikuriya went on to meet Ms. Vasilika Vjero, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, to review the progress of Customs reform. As Albania has aligned its legislation with the international standards, including those of the WCO, WTO and EU regulations, their focus is now on the implementation aspect, including, among other things, the improvement of economic competitiveness in Albania.

During his visit, Dr. Mikuriya had a meeting with Mr. Arben Ahmetaj, the Deputy Prime Minister, who, in the absence of the Prime Minister, expressed his country’s thanks to the WCO. While acknowledging the progress made in the Customs reform process, they discussed several areas of continued improvement, including the application of technology and further development of human resource in Albania Customs. Dr. Mikuriya thanked the Deputy Prime Minister and offered further WCO support in this respect.