The President and secretary general of the Albanian National Olympic Committee welcomed their counterparts from Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia to Tirana ©NOC of Albania

The President and secretary general of the Albanian National Olympic Committee, Viron Bezhani and Stavri Bello, have held a meeting in Tirana with their counterparts from Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia to discuss the possibility of cooperation in a number of fields.

Particular focus was paid to ways of increasing the involvement of young people in sport and developing a framework for leadership in sport.

Discussions also surrounded the training of sport professionals and the extension of joint-sport activities that promote Olympic values.

All parties spoke positively about the initiative, it is claimed, describing it as a necessary and timely one that should be expanded.

National Olympic Committee of Albania
Particular focus was paid to ways of increasing the involvement of young people in sport and developing a framework for leadership in sport ©NOC of Albania

It was agreed that the first project of cooperation will be an educational exchange programme in sports management, entitled "Youth Leadership in Sport".

Five or six participants from each National Olympic Committee (NOC), preferably active athletes aged between 18 and 25, will take part in the continuous programme and experience different cultures.

The initiative is set to be formalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation at the next NOC meeting in Podgorica, Montenegro.

It is possible the cooperation could be seen as a threat by Serbia, the regional power which still opposes Kosovan independence.