A high-level Ukrainian delegation visited Tirana to learn from Albania’s EU accession reforms in a mission co-organized by OSF-WB and IRF, with support from GIZ. The exchange focused on institutional reforms, civic engagement, and cross-regional cooperation, laying the groundwork for deeper collaboration between Ukrainian and Western Balkan civil society.

Tirana, Albania (July 15, 2025) – As Ukraine charts its course toward European Union (EU) membership, a high-level delegation visited Tirana this week to learn from Albania’s experience navigating EU accession reforms.

The exchange, co-organized by the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans (OSF-WB) and Ukraine’s International Renaissance Foundation (IRF), with support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), marked a new chapter of cooperation between Ukrainian and Western Balkan civil society.

Learning from Albania’s Reforms

In meetings with Albania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, and the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ukrainian delegation explored how institutional reforms, legal alignment and civic engagement have shaped Albania’s progress toward EU integration.

The group included senior representatives from Ukraine’s Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, GIZ Ukraine, and the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform.

At the heart of the visit was a roundtable convened by OSF-WB, bringing together Ukrainian and Albanian civil society leaders to discuss grassroots advocacy, justice reform, anti-corruption efforts and the vital role of civic oversight in maintaining reform momentum.

Forging a Strategic Partnership

This mission also laid the foundation for closer collaboration between OSF-WB and IRF. The two foundations are aligning efforts to strengthen civil society’s role in the EU enlargement process, with joint initiatives planned around the upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

These efforts will continue at key platforms later this year, including the Ignita Forum in Prizren (October 8–10) and the Accession Exchange Forum in Kyiv later in October. Both events aim to bring together civil society and institutional actors from Ukraine, the Western Balkans and the EU to exchange experiences, coordinate advocacy and build regional networks.

A Broader Commitment to Ukraine

The visit builds on OSF-WB’s ongoing engagement with Ukraine. In 2024, the foundation partnered with FotoEvidence to bring a traveling photo exhibition documenting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to audiences in Tirana, Pristina, Skopje and Belgrade, reinforcing the urgency of solidarity, justice and historical accountability across the Western Balkans.

As Ukraine deepens its ties with European partners, exchanges like this highlight the critical role of civil society in driving reforms and ensuring citizens remain at the center of the EU accession process.