Bergner to ATSH: Support for strengthening Albania’s capacities on the path towards EU membership

Germany’s Ambassador to Albania, Karl Bergner, stressed the importance of German-Albanian cooperation and of support for Albania’s European integration process, during an interview for ATSH in the framework of German Cultural Week 2026.

At the New Bazaar in Tirana, the “Street Festival” was held today, an event that brought together in a shared space various German projects and initiatives in Albania, in fields such as the economy, social cooperation and culture.

“The idea behind this event is to show the breadth and reach of German-Albanian relations,” Bergner told ATSH.

The ambassador stressed that, beyond the cultural dimension and the opportunity to enjoy German products, the event aims to convey a message about the importance of international cooperation in the face of today’s challenges.

“In the face of all the international challenges, including the aggression against Ukraine and the war in the Arab Gulf, there is a real need for close international cooperation,” he said.

Bergner said that Germany is committed to strengthening NATO, while he also underlined the need to strengthen and enlarge the European Union and to support Albania’s EU membership process.

“We are very pleased to be cooperating with Albania and to be contributing to strengthening its capacities on the path towards EU membership, because no country can face these challenges alone,” the ambassador said.

Speaking about “Team Germany”, Bergner stressed that the event at the New Bazaar aims to make known the wide range of German institutions and organisations operating in Albania.

“That is why we want to show what ‘Team Germany’ represents. We have a large number of German institutions here,” he said.

The event presented representatives of the economy and business associations, institutions of economic cooperation such as GIZ and KfW, as well as cultural and academic organisations and institutions, including the Goethe-Zentrum and the German Academic Exchange Service.

According to the ambassador, the presence of these institutions also serves as an opportunity to inform young Albanians about the opportunities offered through cooperation with Germany.

“It is also a way to reach out a hand to young Albanians, to show them the opportunities that exist and to let them know what we do here,” Bergner said.

He described the event as an opportunity to promote “Team Germany” in Albania and cooperation between the two countries.