TCF 2016

Country Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS)

Walter Glos

Walter Glos is Country Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in Albania since January 2016. Mr. Glos has been a member of KAS since 1988. From 2003 until 2015, he was Head of the Finance and Project Management Department at the Central Department of European and International Cooperation of KAS. He was also Coordinator for Administration at the Central Department and International Cooperation of KAS from 1996 until 2003. As a youngster, he was politically active in the local government of his city of birth. Mr. Glos also served as Head of Social, Sport and Culture Department and Head of Subject Area and Social Help/ Home Assistance at the Association of Municipal Administration in Unkel, Germany.

Head of the Department for Western Balkans, EU Enlargement and Twinning Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria

Klaus Wölfer

Klaus Wölfer serves as Director of the Department for EU-enlargement and South-East Europe at the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs in Vienna from September 2017. His previous work includes Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Turkey (2012-2017), Ambassador to Indonesia, Singapore and Timor-Leste, (2007-2011), Head of the Directorate General for the Arts, Federal Chancellery (2002-2006) and from 1991-1996 as responsible for the then Balkan-Crisis-Zone (Political Department) at the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs/Vienna. Mr. Wölfer has served in many Austrian Embassies like in Rome, Belgrade, Budapest and Zagreb. He has graduated from Law studies in Vienna and the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna.

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).

Minister for European Integration

HE Klajda Gjosha

German Ambassador

HE Susanne Schütz

Since June 2016, H.E Susanne Schütz serves as the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Albania. Previously she has served as Permanent Representative and Head of political Department at the German Embassy in Rome. During 2010-2012, Ambassador Schutz acted at the Federal Foreign Ministry as Head of Division for Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia. During her career, Mrs. Schütz has worked at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the German Embassy in Kiev, Moscow and Tel Aviv. The ambassador has graduated in Studies of Slavic, English and American Studies in Münster, Los Angeles, Berlin and Leningrad. She has a M.A. from FU Berlin and also attended the Diplomatic Academy.

Austrian Ambassador

HE Dr. Johann Sattler

Dr. Johann Sattler has been Ambassador of the Republic of Austria in Albania since April 2016. Before that he headed the WBs department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vienna for three years. From 2008 to 2013, Dr. Sattler served as Managing Director / Publisher for the WAZ Media Group and for Axel Springer in Moscow. Before that, he occupied various posts such as Deputy Head of the Secretary General’s Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Counselor for Political Affairs at the Austrian Embassy in Washington & Cabinet Member of the EU Special Representative for South Eastern Europe (Stability Pact) in Brussels. Dr. Johann Sattler studied Political Science & Slavic Studies at the Universities of Innsbruck / Prague / Moscow. From 1994 to 1996, he graduated from the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. In 1996, he joined the Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Austria, whereas in 2008 he received his doctorate from the University of Vienna.

French Ambassador

HE Bernard Fitoussi

Italian Ambassador to the Republic of Albania

H.E. Alberto Cutillo

News Director, Euronews Albania

Ilva Tare

Ilva Tare is the News Director at Euronews Albania. She is also the Director and the Presenter of the show “Ilva Now” also broadcasted at Euronews Albania. Ms. Tare is one of the most prominent TV journalists in Albania with extensive experience in the Albanian TV outlets. She has interviewed all the Albanian politicians and organized heated political and current affairs debates.

EU Policy Hub

Ergys Gezka

Minister of Innovation and Public Administration, Albania

HE Milena Harito

Kosovo Civil Society Consortium for Sustainable Development, Kosovo

Visar Azemi

Albanian Centre for Energy Regulation and Conservation (ACERC), Albania

Dr. Lorenc Gordani

Albanian Information and Technology Association, Albania

Dritan Mezini

Business Development Consultant, Representative in Albania of Netherland Senior Experts (PUM)

Gojart Smaja

European Western Balkans, Serbia

Nikola Burazer

Adviser to Prime Minister of Albania on Security Issues, Albania

Sander Lleshi

2nd Secretary of German Embassy, Albania

Michael Gumprich

Youth and Culture Sector at Municipality Cerrik, Albania

Silver Mancka

Istituto Affari Internazionali, Italy

Bianca Benvenuti

Albanian Helsinki Committee, Albania

Vjollca Meҫaj

National Coordinator, Program Migration for Development, GIZ Tirana Albania

Florenc Qosja

Head of the Joint Coordinating Team RYCO, General Director of Political and Strategic Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Albania

Ferit Hoxha

Coordinator OFAJ

Frank Morawietz

Youth Organization, Montenegro

Edin Koljenović

Youth Organization, Kosovo

Krenare Gashi

KOMS, Youth Organization, Serbia

Mila Lukic

National Youth Council, Macedonia

Mila Karadafova

General Secretary, National Youth Congress, Albania

Dafina Peci

Dafina Peci is a political analyst, who works as a Secretary General for National Youth Congress of Albania and as a professor assistant on the Classic and Contemporary Political Philosophy at the University of Tirana. Since an early age, she contributed on community development and youth engagements into politics, accessing and leading different youth organisations, networks and campaigns. Step by step she adhered to local youth organisations initially and then to national structures in the role of leader, which made her competent in the field of youth policy and in the political discourse on civil society. Dafina has also been engaged in the working group to establish Regional Youth Cooperation Office since in the very first steps and she is the representative of Albanian youth in the Governing Board of this structure. This initiative brought her personally and professionally near a larger scale of youth policy and political perspective also.

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.