Prime Minister Edi Rama today met with the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, on his first visit to Tirana to attend inauguration of new Albanian National Olympic Committee (ANOC) headquarters, a project launched by ANOC and approved by IOC.

PM Rama familiarized Mr. Bach with the Albanian government projects and investments in the area of sports and the achievements and the vision for its future development.

Mr. Bach praised the progress of sports in Albania, as well as the government investments in this field.

They also spoke about the situation of sport in the country, and the IOC’s support through Olympic Solidarity to promote sports development, particularly in schools

On his part, PM Rama hailed IOC President Bach’s visit to Albania and the IOC support for various sports development projects in the country.

 “It is a privilege for us to welcome the President of the International Olympic Committee here today. There is no need for introductions. It is a visit of tremendous importance. We are glad that today we shared with the President the first results of the process of re-establishing the Olympic Movement in schools, which has just taken the first major step forward and will continue to take other steps, so that all schools countrywide have sports teams, sports championships at school level in order to lay the groundwork that has been missing for many years. We intend to see athletes make their way from this movement up to other levels and why not to the Olympic Games. However, what matters most is that this sports movement gives children the opportunity to disconnect from computers, from the virtual world of smartphones and socialize in the real world of sports. A life without sports and especially a childhood without sports is a deprived childhood. Everything is useful, but life without sport and especially a childhood without sport is a vulnerable childhood. We are very pleased that President Bach and his team not only appreciated what we have done, but also felt involved in this project and will support us with their expertise and knowhow to continue to take other steps. We also spoke about the Olympic Village and some other projects, but these are things of the future. Today we are here to attend some small but meaningful activities. I want to thank the president and his team,” PM Rama said.