TCF 2015

Country Director, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

Frank Hantke

Frank Hantke owns a Master in Mechanics, German Language, Pedagogic (Teacher for Vocational Training)in 1983. Later, Mr. Hantke served as the Head of Department, Strategic Issues, HQ of German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) for the period from 1987 to 1989. Then, during 1995 – 1998, he was Head of Department for International Relations at DGB/ Since 1998, Mr. Hantke is an wxpatriate for Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in the following regions and countires: CEE, Poland, SEE, Serbia, (both regional); Country Director Afghanistan, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia – recently since 2017 Kosovo, before 2012 – 2017 Albania. Since 1974, Mr. Hantke is a member of  IGM (Metal-Union), later IG BCE (Mining and Chemistry Union) and since 1976 a member of SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany).

Regional Director for Southeastern Europe of Hanns Seidel Foundation

Klaus Fiesinger

Dr. Klaus Fiesinger is regional director for Southeast Europe of the Hanns Seidel Foundation. In this function, he is responsible for promoting the European idea, international dialogue, cross-border cooperation, political culture and civic education in new EU member states, candidate countries as well as potential candidate countries. Since 1992, he has been head of the Division for Central, East and Southeast Europe and Central Asia at the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Munich. Furthermore, Dr. Fiesinger is member of IDM, the Austrian Institute in Vienna for the Danube Zone and Central Europe as well as of “Südosteuropa Gesellschaft”. Dr. Fiesinger received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Munich. He is author of the book “Ballhausplatz – Diplomatie 1945-1949.” From 2004 until 2012, he was visiting professor at the Andrassy University in Budapest. Occasionally he gives lectures on Euro-regions, cross-border police cooperation and political education.

Director of Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Office for Albania

Mr. Thomas Schrapel

German Ambassador to Albania

H.E. Mr. Hellmut Hoffmann

Ambassador of EU to Albania

Ambassador Romana Vlahutin

Ambassador Romana VLAHUTIN is a career diplomat. Before joining Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1999 she worked as an analyst for the Bassiouni UN Commission for former Yugoslavia, the UN Tribunal (ICTY) in The Hague and the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington DC. As a Croatian diplomat she served in embassies in Washington (Head of Political Section) and Belgrade (Deputy Ambassador), and as the Head of Strategic Analysis and Policy Planning at the MFA in Zagreb (2000-2004). She also served as a Political Director of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo (2006- 2007). From 2010-2014 she was the Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Croatia. Most recently she was posted as the EU Ambassador to Albania (2014-2018).

French Ambassador

HE Bernard Fitoussi

European Movement in Serbia, Novi Sad

Mr. Aleksandar Simurdic

Programme Manager, Regional School of Public Administration

Mr. Nand Shani

Director of Research, Cooperation and Development Institute, Tirana

Ardian Hackaj

Ardian Hackaj is the Director of Research at Cooperation and Development Institute – an independent Tirana-based think tank. He has authored research works on the Berlin Process, on youth, migration, connectivity and Belt & Road Initiative in the Western Balkans. During his career, Mr. Hackaj has held management positions at the College of Europe-Bruges, International Organization for Migration, United Nations, and the EU Commission. He holds an MA from College of Europe, a BA in International Economics from Université Lumière, Lyon II, and a University Diploma in European Studies from Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Lyon.

Policy Analyst, Albanian Platform for Public Advocacy - APPA

Mr. Brenton Kotorri

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Odeta Barbullushi

Dr. Barbullushi is the Albanian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. She has extensive academic experience, initially as the Head of Department of Political Science and International Relations and then as the Vice-Rector for Research and Methodology at the European University of Tirana. She received her doctorate (PhD) in Russian and East European Studies from the University of the Birmingham, United Kingdom in 2010.

Chairman of the Committee of Productive Activities, Trade and Environment, in the Parliament of Albania

Eduard Shalsi

Eduard Shalsi is the Chairman of the Committee of Productive Activities, Trade and Environment, in the Parliament of Albania. He is also former Minister of State for Local Government and Anticorruption in 2017. In 2003, after 7 years in the banking sector, Mr. Shalsi became CEO of Insurance Institute SA (INSIG SA), the first insurance company in Albania, and a year later he was appointed firstly as Chief of Staff of Edi Rama (at that time, Mayor of Tirana) and later in the 2007 as Deputy Mayor of Tirana. He has been elected MP in the district of Tirana in 2009, in District of Berat in 2013 and has been active in the Parliament. He was elected MP during the 2017 elections, but this time in the district of Korca. As MP, he is also Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Member of the EU-Albania Association- Stabilization Commission. In 2016, Mr. Shalsi has been elected President of the Albanian Chess Federation.

Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Means of Public Information

Mr. Genc Pollo

CDI Board Member

Mr. Ilir Ciko