What is foreign aid coordination?
Foreign aid coordination is the essential function that ensures the strategic use of support from donors and international partners, in service of sustainable development and the European integration process. This function guarantees that the financial and technical assistance provided is closely aligned with national objectives and with the priorities set out in the National Strategy for Development and Integration 2022–2030.
Foreign aid has been a decisive factor in modernising the economy, strengthening institutions and preparing the country for European Union membership. During the period 2013–2023, it has represented an average of 2.5% of GDP and approximately 14% of the annual government budget, reaching a peak in 2020 at 4% of GDP as a result of support following the earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic.
A key element of coordination is the architecture of framework agreements — bilateral with donor states, with international financial institutions and with implementing agencies — which define the areas of cooperation, financial instruments and implementation mechanisms, guaranteeing the sustainability and impact of aid.
SASPAC’s Role
In Albania, the aid coordination function is carried out by the State Agency for Strategic Programming and Aid Coordination (SASPAC), established in 2021. SASPAC acts as a bridge between state institutions and international partners, ensuring that external support is directed towards priority areas, avoids overlaps and is used efficiently and transparently. The Directorate for Aid Coordination coordinates all bilateral and multilateral assistance, including cooperation with international agencies and development banks.
Donors and Development Partners
Albania benefits from a broad international partnership that includes the European Union as the largest donor, bilateral states, international financial institutions and United Nations agencies.
★European Union & its Instruments
⇆Bilateral Partners
Good governance, economic development, energy, environment and institutional reform.
Democratisation, decentralisation, economic development and health.
Historical partner — economic development, agriculture, cultural heritage, institutional strengthening.
Infrastructure, energy, health, digitalisation, agriculture — portfolio exceeding €365M.
Justice, governance, vocational education, environment — priority country since 1992.
Rule of law, human rights, gender equality, public administration reform.
Rule of law, anti-corruption, private sector development, democracy.
Long-standing partner since 1990 — infrastructure, disaster management, human development.
Rule of law, good governance, water management and natural resources.
Rule of law, justice reform, security and fight against organised crime.
Infrastructure, education, health, cultural heritage and regional development.
Agriculture, technology, innovation and capacity building.
$International Financial Institutions
International financial institutions play a key role in financing major projects. Grants are combined with concessional loans or blended finance instruments, enabling strategic investments.
World Bank IBRD · IDA · IFC
Infrastructure, social protection, education, health and public finance modernisation.
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD
Private sector, infrastructure, energy and green transition.
European Investment Bank EIB
Long-term financing — transport, water and sanitation, energy, urban development.
Council of Europe Development Bank CEB
Social projects — housing, health, education, emergencies.
Islamic Development Bank IsDB
Financing for infrastructure, education, health and rural development.
OPEC Fund for International Development OFID
Concessional financing for development projects in developing countries.
UNUnited Nations & International Organisations
International organisations implement programmes related to human rights, rule of law, sustainable development and democratisation. UN cooperation profile →
UNDP Development Programme — undp.org/albania
Governance, sustainable development, climate, social inclusion
UNICEF Children’s Fund — unicef.org/albania
Child protection, education, health, juvenile justice
UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees — unhcr.org/albania
Protection of refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons
UN Women Gender Equality — unwomen.org
Women’s empowerment, fight against gender-based violence
UNFPA Population Fund — unfpa.org
Reproductive health, family planning, demography
IOM International Organisation for Migration — iom.int/albania
Migration management, fight against trafficking, reintegration
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation — fao.org/albania
Food security, sustainable agriculture, rural development
WHO World Health Organisation — who.int/albania
Health policy, emergencies, public health
UNIDO Industrial Development — unido.org
Sustainable industrial development, innovation, standards
Council of Europe Këshilli i Evropës — coe.int/tirana
Human rights, democracy, rule of law
Sectoral areas of support
Foreign aid is concentrated in areas directly linked to EU integration priorities and sustainable development. Infrastructure and governance receive the largest share, reflecting the country’s strategic needs on its path towards EU membership.
Outlook
The establishment of SASPAC, the shift towards programmatic approaches and the full alignment of aid with the National Strategy have defined a new phase of quality. In the years ahead, partner support is expected to focus on:
Reports and Publications
The following publications provide reliable data and in-depth analysis on Albania’s foreign aid. They serve as a key reference for policymakers, state institutions and international partners in planning development cooperation.
This report provides a comprehensive and analytical overview of a decade of international development cooperation in Albania. It documents the volume, origin and sectoral distribution of external assistance — from bilateral grants and concessional loans to technical assistance and multilateral programmes.
The report assesses the degree to which aid has been aligned with national priorities as defined in the Albanian government’s strategic documents, identifying areas of greatest impact: infrastructure, governance, justice and social sectors. It also analyses Albania’s institutional capacity to manage and coordinate external assistance, including progress on key donor-supported reforms.
This document serves as a key reference for policymakers, state institutions and international partners, providing reliable data and analysis for planning the next phase of development cooperation.
This publication provides a consolidated statistical overview of international aid flows to Albania during 2024. The document presents key data by donor, sector and financing instrument, enabling a quick and accurate comparison of contributions from different partners.
The publication reflects Albania’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the management of external funds, in line with the principles of the Paris Declaration and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
This publication provides a structured statistical summary of international assistance received by Albania during 2023. It identifies key trends in aid flows, highlighting shifts in donor priorities and the geographic and sectoral distribution of funds.
The document complements the 2024 edition and, taken together, enables a two-year comparative analysis that reflects the latest dynamics of international development cooperation with Albania.
Useful links
Within the SASPAC website
- SASPAC — Homepage
- Organisational structure and directorates
- Priority Policy Document (PPD)
- Unique List of National Priority Projects
- IPA III — Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance
- Reform Agenda & Growth Plan
- Donor profiles
- Transparency Programme
National institutions
- Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs — EU Integration
- Ministry of Finance and Economy
- Official Publications Centre — Official Gazette
International institutions
- European Commission — Enlargement process, Albania
- EU Delegation to Albania
- Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF)
- World Bank — Albania
- EBRD — Albania
- UNDP — Albania
- UNICEF — Albania
- Council of Europe — Tirana Office
Cooperation profiles (PDF)
Additional cooperation profiles can be found on the Donors page — SASPAC.