Representatives of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development – Bulgaria (CEED Bulgaria) are on a working visit to Albania as part of the project called “Functionally Sustainable Migration and Integration in Bulgaria” (FUMI in Bulgaria) and implemented with the support of the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior and co-financed by the European Union.
The visit is part of the Project’s international information campaign aimed at popularising the online platform, created to connect Bulgarian employers with job applicants from third countries – www.bgjobsportal.com.
The visit’s Programme includes meetings with representatives of the Bulgarian Embassy in Tirana, local organisations, companies and the Bulgarian diaspora.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria in Albania, Mr Ivaylo Kirov, opened the meetings and outlined the main challenges to labour mobility between the two countries, including the lack of any bilateral Agreement and the trends towards workforce outflow from Albania.
During the meetings, the online platform was presented along with the opportunities it offers to facilitate the job recruitment process in Bulgaria, as well as the results from the activities, carried out up to now, and the recommendations developed. Specific opportunities for cooperation with local partners were also discussed, including in sectors like tourism, construction, transport and information technologies, which record some interest shown by Albanian applicants.
Special emphasis was put on the role of the Bulgarian diaspora in Albania for the popularisation of the opportunities for training and employment in Bulgaria, as well as for assistance in the process of application and adaptation.
The visit also included meetings, held with representatives of the Albanian businesses, which expressed interest in partnership and participation in the initiative. It is planned to increase the cooperation with local institutions, including the Chamber of Commerce of Albania.
The FUMI Project aims to support the legal labour migration and successful integration by providing reliable information and practical tools both to employers and to job applicants.