TIRANA, 4 July 2003 – A top official of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Elisabeth Rehn, will pay a visit to Albania on 7 and 8 July. During her visit, Ms Rehn, the Chair of Working Table I of the Stability Pact, will present the authorities and civil society institutions with the work of the Stability Pact and gather their input on the role of the Pact in the region. The visit will also mark the transfer on 1 July of the Working Table I Co-chairmanship from Serbia and Montenegro to Albania.

Working Table I of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe covers issues such as media, local democracy and cross-border co-operation, education and youth, parliamentary co-operation, gender issues, as well as human rights and minorities.

On 7 July, Ms Rehn will meet several high-level officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ministers of Labour and Local Government and Decentralization, the Deputy Speakers of the Parliament, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Integration and Stability Pact, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Stability Pact Co-ordinator, and the Ombudsperson. In addition, she will hold talks with representatives of the international community, civil society and non-governmental organizations in Albania.

On 8 July, Ms Rehn will visit Korca and Pogradec, where meetings with representatives of the local authorities and civil society will be held.

Media representatives are invited to a press conference, which will take place on 7 July at 15.30 in the Headquarters of the OSCE Presence in Albania, in Tirana.

For more information please contact the Press and Public Information Office of the OSCE Presence in Albania, tel. +355 4 235 993, fax +355 4 235994, e-mail: ppio-al@osce.org For more information on the Stability Pact, visit www.stabilitypact.org or contact Roland Bless, Spokesman of the Stability Pact, tel. +32 2 401 8725, e-mail: roland.bless@stabilitypact.org