Elbasan hosted the 4th Meeting of the EU–Albania Joint Consultative Committee, a dialogue forum between representatives of the European Union and local government, focusing on the role of local governance in the European integration process. The meeting was attended by Mayor of Elbasan Gledian Llatja, EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa, Committee Co-chair Antonio Mazzeo, as well as representatives of local and European institutions.
In his speech, Llatja stressed that European integration is built not only at the central level, but also through the day-to-day work of municipalities, services for citizens and the strengthening of local institutions. Referring to recent developments, he described as worrying the acts of violence and the damage to public investments, such as street lighting, educational infrastructure and signage, built over the years to serve the community.
According to him, these actions harm not only public property, but also security, citizens’ trust and the sustainable development of the city. Llatja underlined that public spaces and institutions must not be turned into tools for expressing dissatisfaction in ways that undermine coexistence and community security, stressing that democracy requires not only respect for rights, but also the fulfilment of civic duties.
