Bergner to ATSH: We want to show what ‘Team Germany’ represents in Albania

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

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

“It is a pleasure to be here on the occasion of the opening of German Cultural Week. 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 chance 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 Arabian Gulf, there is a real need for close international cooperation,” he said.

Bergner said Germany is committed to strengthening NATO, while also underlining the need to strengthen and enlarge the European Union and to support Albania’s EU accession 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 showcase 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.

Presented at the event were representatives of business and business associations, economic cooperation institutions 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 of extending 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.