Press Releases

U.S. Department of Defense Sponsors Executive Seminar on Ethics in Governance for Albanian Government Representatives (Sept. 29, 2005)

Representatives from the Albanian Ministries of Finance, Defense, and Justice, along with participants from the State Intelligence Service, the Supreme Auditing Institution, the Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes, and the High Inspectorate of Declaration and Audits of Assets completed an executive seminar on legal and ethical concerns in public agencies. Sponsored by the U.S. Embassy’s Office of Defense Cooperation, the seminar was facilitated by the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS). DIILS is the lead agency within the U.S. Department of Defense for international legal education and training.

The seminar, held from 26-29 September in Tirana, provided an opportunity for the participants and DIILS representatives to exchange ideas and discuss strategies for dealing with unethical or corrupt practices in government.

Standards of conduct for public servants, legislation against fraud, waste, and abuse, financial and white-collar crime prevention and detection, as well as government contracting practices were among the areas of focus.

By the end of the seminar, the participants developed concrete strategies through a systematic approach involving education, legislation, investigation, and enforcement for creating a culture within public service that is less vulnerable to unethical practices.

The four-day event served as another example of the outstanding cooperation between the United States and Albanian Governments and of how mutual understanding is enhanced through sharing different perspectives on issues of common interest.