AATDA Continues Support for Corridor VIII Local Economic Development Initiative - Joins Board of New Regional Association

On May 20, 2005, the Interim Board of Directors of the Corridor VIII LED Network met in Skopje, Macedonia, to continue network activities that were initiated in June 2000 at our First Conference in Struga, Macedonia. This meeting was authorized by the membership at the organization’s Third Annual Conference in Durres, Albania, last November. The board meeting constituted the inaugural event for newly registered association. Up until this time, the Corridor VIII LED Network had functioned as an informal alliance of organizations with common interests related to the Corridor and local economic development of municipalities along and near its route.
 
 The Corridor VIII initiative has been supported primarily through a series of three grants to AATDA from the Open Society Institute’s Local Government and Public Administration Reform Initiative program. AATDA will continue its involvement as a member of the Board of Directors of the Corridor VIII Association. Tom England, AATDA Executive Director, will also serve as temporary chairman of the Policy and Advocacy Committee of the new association.
 
 Dr. Nadia Nikolova, Assistant to the Mayor of Sofia, Stefan Sofianski, was elected Chairman of the Board. Vice Chair position will be filled by ZELS, the Municipal Association of Macedonia.

Arjan Toska, President of MBRC T&I Net, of Macedonia, will serve as Treasurer, and Tom England, Executive Director of AATDA US, will serve as Secretary. Standing committees were established, including Policy and Advocacy (chaired by AATDA), Local Economic Development (chaired by ZELS); Budget and Fundraising (chaired by MBRC T&I Net; and Project Development (chaired by FLAG).
 
 Mr. Gafur Luga, of AATDA AL, was elected Executive Director. Mr. Luga is currently serving as Executive Director of AATDA in Albania, which will serve as the Network’s secretariat. The board approved priorities for the Network’s annual work program which includes advocacy for corridor development and other Network priorities; a public information program; stakeholder/membership development; cross-border project development; fundraising; and LED training and coordination among members.
 
 Interim Board Members participating in the meeting included: Ventsislav Vassilev (FLAG APEX, Bulgaria); Nadia Nikolova (Sofia Municipality, Bulgaria); Arben Toska (MBRC T&I Net, Macedonia); Victor Arnaudoski and Aneta Lozanaoska (ZELS, Macedonia); Mayor Artur Kurti (representing Albanian Association of Municipalities, Tirana, Albania); Arqile Gorea (representing the Union of Chambers of Commerce, Albania); Gafur Luga (AATDA AL, Albania); Salvador Bajrami (Riinvest, Kosovo), Arbnora Kastrati (Association of Kosovo Municipalities) and Thomas England (AATDA, US). Also attending as guests were Cameron Weimar, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce of Macedonia; Arban Gega, Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy in Macedonia; Gani Berisha, AMK, Kosovo; and Rozalija Vasilevska, MDW Project Staff.
 
 It was determined that the next Annual and Board of Directors meetings will be held in Macedonia in October. A specific time and date for these meetings will be determined at a later date. But an effort will be made to schedule it to coincide with the ZELS fair.