In an effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation and exchange of knowledge, Acting Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo, Mr. Alban Ramabaja, together with his associates, paid a visit to the CAA of the Republic of Albania on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

During the visit, Mr. Ramabaja was received by his counterpart Mr. Maksim Et’hemaj at the CAA headquarters in Tirana.

The purpose of the visit was to explore opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the field of civil aviation, with an emphasis on discussions on the exchange of best practices and the promotion of aviation connectivity between the two countries, as well as further strengthening of cooperation between the two authorities.

Director Ramabaja appreciated the progress achieved and the processes of the major reforms of Director Et’hemaj in the Albanian CAA and expressed his interest in learning from Mr. Et’hemaj experiences in the implementation of these reforms. He also explained the ongoing processes carried out by the CAA of Kosovo and asked Mr. Et’hemaj for support on issues related to international institutions, such as Kosovo’s membership in ICAO, participation in various international aviation activities through the support of Albania, the operationalization of a national airline of Kosovo, etc.

Director General Et’hemaj thanked his colleagues from Kosovo for the visit and their continuous support in the certification processes of airports in the Republic of Albania, as well as emphasized the readiness of ACAA to share their expertise and all their capacities to support the development of the aviation sector in Kosovo.

The directors of both CAAs expressed their mutual commitment to maintaining a close working relationship and pledged to continue to engage in regular exchanges to ensure the highest safety standards and promote sustainable development in the aviation industry.

At the suggestion of Mr. Ramabaja, the visit ended with an agreement on the creation of a coordinating team for the joint activities of both CAAs. The coordination team would focus on specific areas of cooperation, such as regulatory harmonization, training programs and capacity building, cooperation for developments and activities at the regional and international level, as well as the exchange of information related to air traffic management. Director Ramabaja’s visit to ACAA marks an important historical moment in ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between the civil aviation authorities of Kosovo and Albania. This visit sets a very positive precedent for future cooperation between the aviation authorities of both countries and demonstrates a shared commitment to promoting regional cooperation as well.