The “Our Land” project concludes, confiscated assets in the service of social justice and rural development
June 26, 2025
Today in Tirana, the Closing Conference of the “Our Land” project took place, an innovative initiative for the social reuse of land confiscated from organized crime in Albania. The project, implemented by COSV in partnership with ANRD and CGM and in close cooperation with the Agency for the Administration of Sequestered and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK), […]
Today in Tirana, the Closing Conference of the “Our Land” project took place, an innovative initiative for the social reuse of land confiscated from organized crime in Albania. The project, implemented by COSV in partnership with ANRD and CGM and in close cooperation with the Agency for the Administration of Sequestered and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK), was funded by the European Commission and has been implemented since 2022 in rural areas such as Shijaku and Tirana.
The Chief Administrator of AAPSK, Ms. Risena Xhaja, in her welcoming speech, emphasized the strategic importance that this project represents for the agency’s mission itself: “The ‘Our Land’ project has been more than a concrete intervention – it has been a valuable experience of learning, cooperation and institutional growth.”
She emphasized that thanks to this cooperation, confiscated lands have become sources of employment, social development and integration for marginalized groups in rural areas.
During the implementation of the project, AAPSK has also faced significant challenges, which have served to improve internal processes. One of them was dealing with ownership issues, which according to Ms. Xhaja “gave the agency the impetus to strengthen risk assessment standards and to guarantee more security for the organizations and communities that build on these assets.”
Ms. Xhaja also emphasized that the project has helped bring AAPSK closer to the best European standards for the governance of confiscated assets, further strengthening inter-institutional partnership and cooperation with civil society.
In conclusion, the Chief Administrator expressed gratitude to all project partners and the European Commission, reiterating AAPSK’s commitment to further advance its mission for the social use of seized and confiscated assets, in order to strengthen the rule of law and citizen trust in public institutions.