CEFTA Secretariat

The CEFTA Secretariat has been established by the CEFTA Parties in 2008, in line with Article 40.2 of the CEFTA Agreement. The key role of the Secretariat is to provide technical and administrative support to the Parties in implementing the CEFTA Agreement and its legal documents. It also provides support to Joint Committee and other CEFTA bodies in developing policies and procedures in the trade related areas. The mandate of the Secretariat is set out in Joint Committee Decision 1/2018.

The Secretariat is located in Brussels and it is financed by the CEFTA Parties and donors, including the European Commission.

Secretariat Staff

Dr Pranvera Kastrati – Director

Telephone: +32 (2) 229 10 15
Email: pranvera.kastrati@cefta.int

Coordination and Communication Expert – Vacant

Dr. Pranvera Kastrati is a seasoned expert in international trade and digital transformation with 30 years of high-level experience in Albania and the broader Western Balkans region. Her professional path reflects a deep engagement in trade negotiations, trade policy formulation and implementation, digital economy, and regional economic integration, with a proven track record in navigating complex institutional environments at both national and regional levels. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Tirana, focusing on the impact of European integration on Albanian trade flows and policymaking.

From 2005 to 2017, Dr. Kastrati played a central role in shaping Albania’s trade policy architecture and institutional capacity for international integration. As Director of Trade Integration Policy and later Director for Economic Development and Cooperation at the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Economic Development, Tourism, Trade and Entrepreneurship, she was entrusted with formulating Albania’s trade strategy, leading international trade negotiations, and representing Albania in key multilateral trade processes in the World Trade Organization and regional processes, including CEFTA and other free trade agreements.

She served as Albania’s CEFTA Contact Point for a decade (2007–2017), and led Albania’s negotiations on trade facilitation, trade in services liberalisation, and regulatory alignment under CEFTA 2006. She was also Albania’s lead interlocutor for related activities under the World Trade Organization (WTO), where she managed the engagement across all WTO agreements and led both Albania’s First and Second Trade Policy Reviews in 2010 and 2016 respectively. In this capacity, she chaired the work for the alignment of national legislation with Chapters 3 and 30 of the EU acquis, directly contributing to Albania’s EU integration process.

Since joining the Regional Cooperation Council in 2017, Dr. Kastrati has progressively taken on senior leadership roles, culminating in her appointment as Acting Head of the Programme Department. She led the preparation of the strategic regional initiatives such as the Common Regional Market in 2020 and 2024 and contributed to the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and the Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans. Her leadership was instrumental in some key regional achievements, such as the reduction of roaming charges within the Western Balkans and between the EU and the Western Balkans, mobility agreements under the Berlin Process, the Western Balkans Digital Summit, etc.

Her work is distinguished by her strategic foresight, strong analytical judgement, and ability to lead cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder initiatives. As Director of the CEFTA Secretariat, she brings a unique combination of deep policy knowledge, diplomatic skill, and visionary leadership to advance regional cooperation and alignment with the EU Single Market.

Trade Facilitation Unit

Senior Trade Expert Facilitation – Vacant