ALForum Day One

18 June

10.30-11.45 am

1- Greener together: Taking to the next level Youth participation in sustainable climate policies

Hotel of Tirana, Consortium

This session explores climate change through a socio-economic lens, focusing on empowering youth to shape sustainable and inclusive responses in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions—the Euro-Mediterranean. With over half the population under 25 and rising inequalities threatening long-term stability, climate action must move beyond environmental targets to strengthen social and economic resilience.

The discussion will spotlight holistic approaches that connect youth engagement, community resilience, and research-informed policymaking. Participants will learn how inclusive planning processes can embed social equity into climate agendas, ensuring that transition strategies reflect the realities of those most affected.

Speakers will present models of youth-led innovation, local activism, and evidence-based collaboration that redefine the role of young people, from advocates to co-designers of climate futures. The session positions the region as a potential model for equitable transformation, where the participation and leadership of the next generation drives sustainable development.

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2- Enhancing Inclusion in the Digital Economy: A Mediterranean and bottom-up perspective on the human dimension of work   

Hotel of Tirana, Metropol

Coorganising Partner: Access to Knowledge for Development Center (A2K4D) and the MENA Observatory on Responsible AI

This session explores how AI-driven transformations and platform-based employment are reshaping labour markets across the Mediterranean, particularly for young people navigating high unemployment and informal work. As more workers turn to digital platforms, many remain excluded from legal protections, decent wages, and social security, deepening inequalities within vulnerable communities.

Drawing on fieldwork by the MENA Regional Platform Workers Network, coordinated by A2K4D, the session examines the lived realities of platform workers in the region. It will unpack how algorithmic management, opaque governance structures, and fragmented regulation contribute to precarious labour conditions, while highlighting civil society’s role in advocating equitable digital economies.

Speakers will share concrete strategies for advancing labour protections, increasing algorithmic transparency, and promoting inclusive, rights-based governance of digital work. By linking grassroots research with policy advocacy, the session will provide insights into building fairer digital economies that uphold dignity, justice, and accountability, placing people, not platforms, at the centre of innovation.

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3- Voices of Resolve: Women Leading Change Across the Mediterranean 

Hotel of Tirana, Teuta

This session highlights the determination and leadership of women driving systemic transformation across the Euro-Mediterranean region. Despite persistent barriers—including restricted economic access, political underrepresentation, and enduring cultural biases—women are forging new pathways for equity, resilience, and progress.

The session explores how women shape inclusive governance, advance peacebuilding, and build community-rooted enterprises by bringing together case studies and firsthand accounts. Speakers from diverse sectors will examine what makes gender strategies effective, focusing on intersectionality, sustained local leadership, and empowerment frameworks that move beyond symbolic representation.

Participants will gain access to innovative models and actionable insights that redefine women not as beneficiaries of reform but as architects of transformation. Whether in policymaking, entrepreneurship, or civic engagement, this session celebrates women’s agency as a driving force for inclusive regional development.

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4- Art, Women, and Reconciliation: Transforming Trauma into Collective Healing

Opera House, Cultures

This session will convene a thought-provoking discussion with four arts professionals from diverse fields, demonstrating how women’s artistic practices transform experiences of trauma and resilience into narratives of hope and unity. The dialogue will emphasize the significance of cultural justice in peacebuilding and examine how women’s unique capacities foster connection and belonging through their art.

The session will also include a short performance by a chamber choir from Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose repertoire includes works by female composers representing a range of Mediterranean ethnic and religious traditions.

The role of women in the arts is increasingly recognized as essential for healing and reconciliation in post-conflict areas. Women are often portrayed as symbols of motherhood, leadership, or mediation, and these roles have found powerful expression in art. Through their creativity, women challenge traditional narratives and drive healing—both personal and collective—particularly in regions affected by conflict.

Artistic initiatives often provide a platform for women’s voices, which are too frequently sidelined in conventional peace processes. The intersection of art and activism empowers women to actively shape post-conflict narratives. Art’s capacity to heal emerges as a vital tool for rebuilding societies fractured by conflict, with women playing pivotal roles in this process.

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Concordia Sonora is a vocal ensemble composed of professional musicians from various backgrounds. The ensemble performs a stylistically diverse repertoire – ranging from Renaissance music and arranged traditional songs to contemporary composed works. They place special emphasis on the social context of music and its role in shaping new narratives of inclusivity, anti-discrimination policies, and community.

5- Citizen Diplomacy in Action: Young Voices from EU Neighbours South Coorganising Partner: EU Neighbours South

Opera House, Orange

In a world where narratives shape perceptions and influence policy, young people can play a crucial role and become powerful agents of cultural diplomacy and influence.

This roundtable brings together 3 compelling voices from the programme’s youth networks to share their journeys, the impact they have made in their communities and how the EU has supported them to become cultural connectors, bridge builders and informal ambassadors of Euro-Mediterranean values.

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6- Voices for change: Combating Stereotypes and Advocating for Migrant Rights Across the Euro-Mediterranean

This session brings together diverse perspectives from civil society organizations addressing forced migration in the Euro-Mediterranean region. As divisions grow and stereotypes stick around, people in civil society are stepping up to fight false beliefs, stop hate speech, and promote real inclusion. The panel, which includes people from all over the area, talks about how civil society organizations are telling different stories that are based on rights, dignity, and social cohesion.

From grassroots activism to working together across borders, guests will talk about what really works: how to get people involved, change people’s minds, and tell stories that make people feel like they belong instead of putting them down. The session also goes into detail about policies and shows how both local and international work can affect change and make protections for migrants stronger.

This talk brings together experiences from the media, refugee inclusion initiatives, activism and legal advocacy to compare tactics used in various countries while also bringing up common problems and creative solutions.

At its core, the session stresses how important it is for civil society to change the narrative on refugees and to promote inclusive solutions.

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7- Art, Creativity and Cultural Actions: alliances to promote equity across diversity

This panel aims to explore the issues related to equality between different cultures and artistic practices, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities that enable better cultural inclusion. Through the sharing of experiences and testimonials, this panel will highlight concrete projects that promote better representation of cultural diversity in art. These inspiring examples will illustrate the strategies implemented at various levels, from local to international.

Finally, this discussion aims to propose action points to ensure true cultural equality, by considering ways to guarantee equitable access to resources, creation spaces, and dissemination channels. It will highlight potential levers to strengthen the recognition of different artistic practices and encourage collaboration among cultural stakeholders committed to promoting diversity.

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8- Bridging Beliefs: Interfaith Education and Cooperation for Inclusive Societies

Hotel of Tirana, Blue

This session explores how religious diversity, often seen as a dividing line, can become a powerful force for connection and resilience across the Euro-Mediterranean region. With its wealth of spiritual and intellectual traditions, the region holds immense potential to transform interfaith dialogue into a cornerstone of inclusive societies.

Focusing on the intersection of education, media, and community engagement, the session highlights innovative initiatives such as interfaith teacher trainings, children’s cultural workshops, peace-focused podcasts, and community radio programs. These cross-sector efforts are reshaping narratives, fostering coexistence, and building trust at the grassroots level. Speakers will examine how formal curricula, local storytelling, and EU policy frameworks can better reflect and support multifaith realities. The session will also address structural barriers to religious literacy and inclusion, framing these challenges as opportunities for deeper dialogue and shared citizenship.

This session, which brings together educators, young leaders, media professionals, and cultural practitioners, offers practical tools and fresh perspectives on how faith-based engagement, rooted in pluralism and democratic values, can strengthen social cohesion and contribute to a more just and inclusive Mediterranean future.

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9- Information and Narratives Crisis: Regional Approaches to Countering Disinformation and Misinformation

Hotel of Tirana, Abreti 1/2

This session addresses the escalating disinformation and misinformation crisis and its corrosive effects on democracy, public trust, and intercultural dialogue across the Euro-Mediterranean region. As digital platforms amplify false narratives and external actors exploit information gaps, the need for coordinated, values-based responses has never been greater.

Participants will hear from fact-checkers, grassroots organisations, and media professionals who are reshaping how we respond to disinformation and misinformation. The session will spotlight bold, regionally rooted strategies—from EU strategic communications to community-led media literacy campaigns—that counter polarisation and promote inclusive storytelling.

Beyond analysis, this is a call to action. The conversation will explore ways to build digital resilience, safeguard democratic discourse, and foster cross-border cooperation in the face of narrative warfare. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on how to protect truth not only as a value to defend but also as a tool to mobilise, connect, and rebuild trust across divides.

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10- Youth mobility: A bridge between cultures for a strengthened Euro-Mediterranean dialogue Coorganising Partner: UNIMED

Hotel of Tirana, Bodgani

This session focuses on how youth mobility, particularly through student exchange programs, can catalyse intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding, and regional cohesion across the Euro-Mediterranean. Mobility programs foster global competencies, personal growth, and long-term cross-cultural relationships by enabling students to live, learn, and engage in different cultural settings.

But the impact of mobility goes far beyond individual enrichment. It builds institutional ties, enhances academic collaboration, and stimulates the co-creation of knowledge across borders. Youth engaged in international study and research become future leaders, equipped to address shared challenges and drive regional integration and stability.

Drawing on successful case studies, the session will explore how mobility experiences contribute to personal and systemic transformation. Speakers will examine how such programs can be more inclusive and equitable, ensuring wider access regardless of socioeconomic background or geographic location.

Participants will reflect on key policy enablers, cross-sector partnerships, and regional cooperation frameworks that can scale the impact of mobility. Ultimately, this session will demonstrate how placing youth at the centre of regional exchange strengthens intercultural trust and builds the foundations for a more cohesive Euro-Mediterranean future.

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11- Ensuring Meaningful Youth Participation in the Med: Tackling Instrumentalisation and Overcoming Obstacles

Hotel of Tirana, Onufri

This session examines the structural and cultural forces that lead to the instrumentalisation of youth in civic and political initiatives. As young people continue to be framed as symbols of the future, their involvement is frequently reduced to token gestures rather than substantive engagement. Drawing on experiences from Egypt, Spain, Austria, and Turkey, this session brings together youth practitioners and network representatives to explore how to ensure inclusive and authentic participation frameworks.

The conversation will unpack the structural and behavioral obstacles that hinder meaningful youth involvement—from biases in program design to unsafe environments that deter honest engagement. Instead of asking how to include youth, the conversation shifts to how to share power with them – across different institutions and communities.

The speakers will co-develop a practical guide on ethical youth engagement that is adaptable to different national contexts. This guide aims not only to document best practices but to catalyze long-term change in how organizations approach youth participation.

This session aims to act as a foundation for advocacy and behavioral shifts in how institutions engage with youth, aiming to reframe youth participation from symbolic to transformative.

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12.00-13.15 pm

1- التحديات والفرص الناتجة من توظيف الذكاء الاصطناعي في مجال المعلومات والصناعات الإبداعية في المنطقة الأورومتوسطية

Hotel of Tirana, Teuta

في عصرٍ تتسارع فيه وتيرة التطور التكنولوجي، يفرض الذكاء الاصطناعي نفسه كلاعبٍ أساسي في صياغة مستقبل الإبداع. تسلط هذه الجلسة الضوء على دور الذكاء الاصطناعي في تشكيل الصناعات الثقافية والإبداعية، مستعرضةً الفرص الواعدة التي يقدمها، إلى جانب التحديات الأخلاقية، القانونية، والثقافية التي يثيرها. كما تناقش العلاقة المعقدة بين الإنسان والآلة في إنتاج المحتوى الفني والإعلامي، ومآلات التأليف والملكية الفكرية والمصداقية في زمن الخوارزميات.

الجلسة دعوة مفتوحة لتفكير نقدي وتفاعلي حول كيفية توظيف هذه التقنيات الحديثة لتعزيز الإبداع وتطوير الصناعات الإبداعية.

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2- Tech for Good: Exploring the nexus between Innovation, Inclusion, and Digital Citizenship 

Hotel of Tirana, Bodgani

This session explores how emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, can be mobilised to advance inclusion, intercultural dialogue, and civic engagement across the Euro-Mediterranean. As the digital landscape expands, concerns over disinformation and misinformation, algorithmic bias, and social exclusion grow parallel, raising the stakes for ethical and inclusive innovation.

Speakers from civil society, academia, and the tech sector will examine how regionally grounded digital tools—from multilingual AI systems to civic tech platforms—can enhance participation, bridge divides, and safeguard democratic values. The session will spotlight how grassroots actors and global institutions are reimagining “tech for good” as a shared agenda, rooted in equity and local empowerment.

With a focus on youth, women, and marginalised communities as digital leaders, the discussion will explore intersections between digital sovereignty, global tech governance, and regional policy frameworks. This is a call to shape technology not just as a force of disruption, but as an engine of social cohesion and inclusive citizenship in the Euro-Med region.

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3- From Stories to Strategies: Women, Identity, and Influence 

This session explores how women across the Euro-Mediterranean are transforming personal experience into powerful strategies for societal change. In a region marked by layered inequalities and entrenched gender stereotypes, women are reshaping public narratives as activists, artists, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders.

Participants will engage with first-hand accounts from women who translate identity into influence—using storytelling, intercultural expression, and civic action to shift perceptions, reimagine leadership, and claim space in policymaking and public life. The session highlights practices that disrupt exclusion, from digital platforms and street art to inclusive design and policy innovation.

Through lived experiences and transformative initiatives, speakers will demonstrate how narrative becomes a strategic tool for change. This is a space to reflect, connect, and learn from trailblazing women who break silences, dismantle norms, and build inclusive futures—one story, one strategy at a time.

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4- Building transnational bridges: The Power of Cultural Mobility

Hotel of Tirana, Abreti 1/2

This session looks at how cultural mobility can help connect people, ideas, and living experiences across the Euro-Mediterranean region, not just between places. Mobility is still one of the best ways to spark imagination, deepen understanding, and create the kind of social innovation that our region needs right now, even though the landscape is complicated and broken up.

The session brings together people from the ALFinMotion program and shares stories of real impact—how cultural workers, artists, and thinkers have used mobility to change their work, broaden their worldviews, and connect with communities in deep, important ways. But it also gets to the larger questions: What does it mean to move when not everyone can do so easily? How can we mix face-to-face interactions with new digital tools like AI and VR without losing the human touch that makes cultural exchange so powerful?

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5- Youth and Cultural Narratives: join actions against polarization and hate speech

Hotel of Tirana, Classic

 This session addresses one of the most pressing challenges in the Mediterranean today: the rise of polarization and hate speech, particularly among youth. It is set to create a space for youth to challenge ideas, exchange lived experiences, and propose youth-led solutions to combat divisive rhetoric. Drawing on ALF’s programs such as Young Arab Voices and Young Mediterranean Voices, the session emphasizes critical thinking, argumentation, and constructive disagreement.

Adopting a structured, debate-based format, the session aims to sharpen speakers’ skills in evidence-based reasoning and respectful discourse. By engaging with diverse perspectives—from Tunisia, Ireland, Spain, Morocco, and Belgium—speakers will explore the root causes of polarization and reflect on how intercultural dialogue can serve as a tool for resilience and social cohesion. The format also encourages the development of leadership and communication skills essential for civic participation in diverse societies.

Speakers will contribute to a set of youth-led recommendations for tackling hate speech and will help shape a shared vision for inclusive civic participation. The recommendations will be documented and shared across the Anna Lindh Foundation network, contributing to broader advocacy and programming efforts.

Ultimately, the session highlights the power of dialogue-based engagement in building youth resilience against hate and fostering a more inclusive, connected Mediterranean future.

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6- Multi/Inter-cultural cities: stakeholders & the challenge of collective actions

Hotel of Tirana, Balsha

This session looks at the city as a complicated place to live, where identity, culture, and government all come together. As cities become more diverse, it’s more important than ever to have regulations that include everyone and government that works with everyone. Local governments, civil society groups, business owners, and academics are all taking part in this talk to think about how different groups shape, challenge, and support multicultural living in cities.

Building on earlier study done in Greece, this session looks at experiences from all over the Euro-Med region and compares them. It will look at new trends in intercultural conversation, the gaps in governance in stakeholder collaboration, and possible models for long-term cooperation in cities. The panel wants to do more than just talk about problems that everyone faces. They also want to come up with workable plans for conversation, networking, and shared policy ownership, pointing out both problems and good ideas.

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7- Shifting the Narrative: Civil Society Grassroots Organizations Tackling Barriers to Equality in the South Mediterranean region

Hotel of Tirana, Consortium

This panel offers a powerful reimagining of how we understand and address social inequalities, grounded not in top-down strategies, but in lived, localized experiences. The speakers, leaders in the fields of autism rights, disability empowerment, refugee inclusion, and minority advocacy, bring not only professional expertise, but personal proximity to the injustices they confront. Their contributions highlight context- specific, culturally informed approaches that emerge from community resilience, human dignity, and grassroots innovation. These are not abstract concepts, but practical and replicable models for inclusion and social transformation. By weaving together intersecting narratives of disability, displacement, and ethnic marginalization, the session invites reflection on the complexity of inequality, and the creativity, courage, and persistence required to dismantle it.

More than a celebration of resilience, this dialogue recognizes the power of grassroots interventions as scalable blueprints for wider systemic change. It demonstrates that inclusion is not an ideal, but a lived process of struggle, negotiation, and achievable transformation.

Opening Remarks

Cecilia Garcia Gasalla, Director of Cooperation with Africa and Asia, Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation – AECID – Opening Remarks

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8- Two-way street: Research as basis for action and action as evidence for research

Hotel of Tirana, Orange

This session explores the vital need to deepen the link between research and grassroots action across the Euro-Mediterranean region. While community-based initiatives often bring agility and relevance, they may lack structured evaluation or alignment with broader policy frameworks. Conversely, academic and policy research can risk remaining detached from local realities, limiting its utility and impact.

This conversation underscores the importance of grounding community programming in rigorous, context-sensitive research, while also generating research insights from lived experience and civic action. Speakers will present effective collaboration models between scholars, civil society, and policymakers that foster iterative learning and measurable outcomes.

The session highlights strategies for participatory evaluation, data-informed planning, and interdisciplinary methods that bridge the gap between knowledge and implementation. It advocates for a cultural shift in knowledge production: breaking silos between academia and practice, empowering local actors as co-creators of evidence, and promoting responsive policy grounded in real-world dynamics. This session reinforces the mutual flow between research and action and offers a roadmap for more adaptive, inclusive, and impactful development practices in the region.

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9- Youth Uniting the Mediterranean – Transnational Citizens’ Assemblies for Climate Action

Hotel of Tirana, Onufri

This session explores the potential of transnational citizens’ assemblies as a participatory response to one of the greatest shared challenges of the Mediterranean region: climate change and environmental degradation. With a strong focus on youth, the session will highlight how deliberative democratic tools can foster more accountable, inclusive, and sustainable decision-making across borders.

Using real-life examples from around the region, like energy justice consultations in Tunisia and Lebanon and youth-led digital engagement projects, the session will look at how these assemblies can make the voices of ordinary people heard, bring people from the North and South together, and create a shared environmental agenda for the Mediterranean. This session sees young people as co-creators of new ways of running the government. This means that their work is not only activism, but also a form of societal change. 

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10- Youth and Children mental health in a changing society: prevention, best practices, coping strategies 

Hotel of Tirana Metropol

This session tackles the escalating youth mental health crisis across the Euro-Mediterranean region. From conflict and forced displacement to economic instability, climate anxiety, and social isolation, young people today face a convergence of stressors that transcend national borders. While the drivers of psychological distress may differ between Europe and the Southern Mediterranean, the need for coordinated, culturally sensitive responses is shared.

The session will present best practices on early intervention, prevention, and resilience-building from both institutional and grassroots levels. Case studies will showcase how schools, youth organisations, and local authorities create protective environments, offer psychosocial support, and integrate mental health into broader youth development strategies.

Speakers—including youth advocates, educators, mental health professionals, and civil society actors—will share actionable insights on how to build supportive ecosystems for youth well-being. Special attention will be given to stigma reduction, peer-led initiatives, and the importance of cross-sector collaboration.

Rather than sounding alarms, the session aims to equip participants with adaptable strategies to address mental health holistically, anchored in compassion, prevention, and dignity. It will explore how mental well-being can become a core component of social resilience and youth empowerment efforts across the Euro-Med region.

Panelists: 

15.15-17.00 pm

1- Preserving the Past, Cultivating the Future: Leveraging Native Varieties for Sustainable Tourism, Food Systems, and Climate Action

2- thinking Mediterranean Diplomacy: Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Cooperation

3- Breaking Barriers: Intersectional Discrimination and Women’s Marginalization in the Euro-Med Region

4- Langues, récits et territoires : vers une diplomatie culturelle du quotidien

5- Resilience, Culture, and Countering Disinformation

6- Fact-Check & Connect: Fighting Misinformation Through Intercultural Dialogue

7- Fact checking and data integrity: On the perils of information bubbles, fake news, and biased data and how to fight them 

8- Social Innovation for Sustainable Futures: The role of Inclusive Employment and Urban-Rural Development

9- Empowering Youth: Tackling AI-Driven Mis/Disinformation and Fostering Intercultural Dialogue

10- A shared heritage: reconnecting Mediterranean youth through culture

17.15-18.30 pm

1- Preserving the Past, Cultivating the Future: Leveraging Native Varieties for Sustainable Tourism, Food Systems, and Climate Action

2- The Signs of Times: How AI tools are reshaping the way we work, and how to make the most out of it 

3- Breaking Barriers: Intersectional Discrimination and Women’s Marginalization in the Euro-Med Region

4-Unlocking potential: Practices, policies, and pathways for women entrepreneurs

5-Words that Connect: Language, Culture, and Soft Power

6-Exploring the role of libraries in unveiling shared heritage

7-Fighting misinformation and disinformation on collective identities in the Euro-Med region

8- Art Experience for Intercultural Dialogue – Putting our art into Motion

9- Breaking Barriers: Mastering Communication and Feedback in Diverse Cultures

10- Green Voices, Collective Efforts: Youth-led action across the public-private divide in the MENA and Europe 

Hotel of Tirana, Consortium

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Hotel of Tirana, Metropol

Coorganising Partner: Access to Knowledge for Development Center (A2K4D) and the MENA Observatory on Responsible AI

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Hotel of Tirana, Teuta

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Opera House, Cultures

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Opera House, Orange

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Ahmed Yassin

Sandra Sami

Nisrine El Kettani

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Hotel of Tirana, Blue

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Hotel of Tirana, Abreti 1/2

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Hotel of Tirana, Bodgani

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Hotel of Tirana, Onufri

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Hotel of Tirana, Teuta

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Hotel of Tirana, Bodgani

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