12 municipalities and central government institutions discussed promoting rural development through advocacy. “Promoting rural development through advocacy” was the topic of the workshop organized by the Albanian School of Public Administration with the support of RisiAlbania, a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

This workshop was held with representatives from the municipalities of Skrapar, Prrenjas, Pogradec, Librazhd, Delvinë, Vlora, Përmet, Dibër, Kukës, Mirditë, Roskovec and Tepelena, as well as the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Agency for Support of Local Self-Government.

Th workshop equipped participants with basic tools for economic policy analysis in rural areas. The roundtable also addressed the application of these tools for problem-oriented issues and training in drafting action plans for policy impact.

Familiarity with domestic and foreign best practices in promoting rural development was another important point of this meeting, where among other things, was the good experience created by several municipalities, thanks to the cooperation and support of RisiAlbania, in diversifying natural resources into potentials of agricultural development and economic income for farming families. Such is the case of the Municipality of Ersekë in the development of the medicinal plants sector, which has generated employment in the area and increased exports of locally cultivated products.