Presence in Albania organised the first of a series of conferences on countering violent extremism

Preventing and countering violent extremism in Albania was the focus of an OSCE-organized conference for some 100 representatives of religious communities, local and central government, civil society and students held on 12 October in Elbasan, Albania. The aim of the conference, organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania in co-operation with the local Muslim community and the municipality, was to bring together the diverse communities of the region to introduce new ways of tackling the phenomenon at its roots. The conference built on the outcomes of a high-level table-top exercise held in Durrës, in September. It is the first on a series of conferences planned to be held around the country in the coming months.