The first meeting of the inter-institutional working group was opened by the Chairman of the group, Minister of State for Local Government, Mr. Arbjan Mazniku, who stressed the importance of this meeting for the establishment of the Local Government Academy as one of the most urgent needs of local government. Mr. Mazniku brought to attention that after the meetings with 61 municipalities within the framework of the “Local Dialogue”, two of the most essential problems identified in local government structures are the lack of human capacity in some of the country’s municipalities as well as the lack of qualification, which will require a more in-depth analysis of how to address it. Mr. Mazniku emphasized the commitment of the Albanian Government to review the salary level for municipalities, especially for structures that require specialized functions such as finance, urban planning and legal offices. Regarding the establishment of the Local Government Academy, he emphasized the need to establish a permanent structure that will provide systematic training for staff performing technical procedures, basic work procedures and specific functions. At the end of his speech, Mr. Mazniku requested the engagement of the parties in this process, which should begin with the problems and needs that have been identified during this period. The Inter-Institutional Working Group approved the structure for drafting the Green Paper and tasked the team of experts to draft this document within the deadlines set in the work plan.