Tirana, May 3, 2016. At the invitation of the People’s Advocate, Mr. Igli Totozani, the Kosovo Ombudsman, Mr. Hilmi Jashari paid today an official visit to Tirana, accompanied by a delegation of his institution.

“Citizens of Albania and Kosovo have similar problems and significant challenges lie ahead, such as the integration and growth of living standards”, Mr. Totozani said in the meeting with Mr. Jashari. Albanian Ombudsman said that both institutions are working intensively to increase the cooperation relations of two offices, in order for the cases of complaints of Albanian citizens, which cannot be followed by us,  for the lack of competence, to be addressed for solutions to the Ombudsman in Kosovo and vice versa.

Cooperation between Ombudsman offices of Albania and Kosovo has been extended through a joint venture agreement to the field of Torture Prevention Mechanism and treatment of persons with restricted liberty. We are also evaluating the alternatives for joint trainings in order to increase the professional capacity of the staff of two institutions in addressing many issues related to the protection and respect of human rights.

“Our relations with the Ombudsman of Kosovo are of priority and our common objective is membership with full rights of Kosovo Ombudsman in regional and international organizations, as it was the successful lobbying for his membership with full rights in AOMF. For his part, Mr. Jashari praised the ongoing cooperation and expressed gratitude for his institution’s membership in the Organization of Mediterranean Ombudsmen.

During the visit in Tirana, Kosovo Ombudsman accompanied by Mr. Totozani, had meetings with the Speaker of Parliament Mr. Ilir Meta, Minister of Justice Mr. Ylli Manjani and the Chairman of the Constitutional Court Mr. Bashkim Dedja.

Another important meeting of Mr. Jashari was that with the Advisory Board to the People’s Advocate of Albania, which consists of representatives of civil society, playing an active role in the development of such an institution that monitors the observance of human rights in Albania

(*News has been borrowed from the web-page of the People’s Advocate in Albania)