Regional Youth Cooperation Office - RYCO

21/11/2025

🗣️ Strengthening partnerships that advance youth cooperation in the Western Balkans remains a core priority for RYCO’s leadership.
Secretary General Vladimir Obradović and Deputy Secretary General Kreshnik Loka met with Ingrid Macdonald, UN Resident Coordinator in Albania, to reaffirm this shared mission.

🧩 The meeting highlighted the strong UN–RYCO collaboration and the yet-untapped potential for expanding joint efforts that support youth, CSOs, and regional stakeholders. Discussions focused on preparing the next Cooperation Framework, enhancing youth mobility and dialogue, and deepening cooperation through initiatives such as .

🤝🏼 Together, we will continue creating spaces where young people can connect, participate, and shape a more inclusive and resilient region.

20/11/2025

🌿 Led by our RYCOnnecting grantee Friends of Korça, the Intercultural Meeting brought young people together to explore how local action can shape a greener future. From Korça Alpin’s eco-activism to Preca College students’ vision of a “solar school,” the session showcased how youth transform environmental challenges into sustainable solutions.

⚡ Across the region, young people are also gaining practical skills in solar energy and green technologies, opening pathways to green jobs, entrepreneurship, and a more resilient Western Balkans.

19/11/2025

🗣️ Our continue to inspire with their stories from the Superschools Program.

📍 This time, hear the experience of Dijana from the Catholic School Center “Saint Francis”, in Tuzla.

This is a co-fujded🇪🇺 project and German Government, implemented by RYCO and GIZ.

18/11/2025

🗣️ RYCO is looking for a dedicated Finance & Administration Assistant to join our Local Branch Office in North Macedonia. If you’re detail-oriented and passionate about meaningful regional work, this role could be a great fit.

Read more in the link below 👇🏻

Skopje – Are you a detail-oriented professional passionate about youth cooperation, regional collaboration, and supporting meaningful school exchanges? The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) is seeking a dedicated Local Finance and Administration Assistant (FAA) to join our team in Skopje an...

18/11/2025

📢 We’re hiring! Join the team at Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) in Sarajevo as a Finance & Administration Assistant and help shape youth cooperation across the Western Balkans.

Learn more in the link below 👇🏻

Sarajevo – Are you a detail-oriented professional passionate about youth cooperation, regional collaboration, and supporting meaningful school exchanges? The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) is seeking a dedicated Local Finance and Administration Assistant (FAA) to join our team in Sarajev...

18/11/2025

Today, at the RYCO's premises, RYCO Leadership including Secretary General Vladimir Obradovic , Deputy Secretary General Kreshnik Loka, and Senior Advisor Feras Kheirallah , met with the Head of Mission of Poland in Albania - Mr. Wojciech Unolt.

🙌🏻The discussion centered on RYCO's impact in the Western Balkans and opportunities for increased support from the Polish Government.

Ambasada RP w Tiranie/Ambasada e Republikës së Polonisë në Tiranë

18/11/2025

Series of meetings with RYCO Governing Board members continue 🙌🏻

Deputy Secretary General Kreshnik Loka welcomed Mr. Fatmir Sabriu, RYCO Governing Board Member from North Macedonia, at the RYCO Head Office in Tirana. The discussion focused on current institutional processes and further steps towards strengthening efficiency and coordination across all CPs.

Special attention was given to the development of strategic mechanisms for support of youth-focused initiatives and boost of regional cooperation.

Through regular dialogue with its Governing Board, RYCO remains committed to transparent governance, effective decision-making, and advancing meaningful youth participation across the region.

17/11/2025

The waves whispered stories of connection and courage.

🎭 “Seashores of Unconsciousness” united young people from Albania, , and Serbia to explore what it means to leave, to long, and to belong. Through creative workshops and a site-specific performance by the sea, they transformed personal reflections on migration into a collective voice of empathy and understanding.

✨ Supported by the WB Youth Cultural Fund granting scheme, the project showed how art can turn stories into dialogue and difference into unity.

🤝 “Seashores of Unconsciousness” proved that when young people create together, they don’t just express, they connect, they inspire, they build change.

📍 Western Balkans Youth Cultural Fund it’s a multi-year RYCO project, financed by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, designed for cultural practitioners and civic society organizations dealing with youth and culture

17/11/2025

🗣️ Building on the strong and long-standing ties between RYCO and the EU, RYCO’s new leadership continues to reinforce key partnerships that shape youth cooperation in the region.

🧩 In this spirit, RYCO Secretary General Vladimir Obradović and Deputy Secretary General Kreshnik Loka held their first official meeting with H.E. Silvio Gonzato, EU Ambassador to Albania.
The meeting reaffirmed close cooperation and highlighted the shared priority of advancing youth mobility, dialogue, and meaningful participation throughout the Western Balkans. The discussion also touched upon ongoing regional efforts, the EU’s continued support for youth-focused initiatives, and the importance of ensuring that young people are actively included in shaping a more connected and resilient region.

🤝🏼 Together, we remain focused on empowering young people and building the partnerships that drive regional cooperation forward.

14/11/2025

📝👩‍💻👨‍💻 Skopje hosted the closing event of RYCO’s Research & Mentorship Program, supported by the .

Young researchers from across the Western Balkans presented their policy briefs on youth unemployment and brain drain - turning research into action.

🗣️The event guided by our RYCO Team, opened with remarks by: Mr. Timcho Mucunski, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of North Macedonia, Mr. Kreshnik Loka, Deputy Secretary General of RYCO, Mr. Wolfgang Wagner, Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs

A big thank you to our partners, mentors, and brilliant young researchers for shaping solutions that matter. 🌍

👉 Read the full article on our website and download the policy briefs on our REL HUB. 🔗

14/11/2025

🚗Regional journey continued, this time in Sarajevo, where RYCO SG Vladimir Obradovic, accompanied by RYCO DSG Kreshnik Loka and RYCO team, held series of meetings with key partners and stakeholders.

👉Constructive meeting with Zorana Tovilović Glavaš, RYCO Youth GB member, underlined the need for the active inclusion of youth representatives, not only in decision-making processes but also in the implementation of activities at both local and regional levels. Strengthening youth participation was recognized as a key factor for sustainable development and reconciliation in the region.

👉Visit to Sarajevo was also an opportunity to meet H.E. Alfred Grannas, German Ambassador and to express appreciation for the German’s continued support to RYCO’s activities and the Berlin Process. The discussion highlighted the German-French cooperation as an example of how dialogue and mutual understanding can transform regional relations — an approach that continues to inspire RYCO’s work.

👉Tour continued with the meeting with representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Ms. Heike Backofen-Warnecke and Mr. Ali Mir-Hällmayer. Meeting emphasized importance of sustained investment in young people across the Western Balkans, recognizing the strong and ongoing support of the German Government for youth-focused initiatives.

Series of meetings held in Sarajevo, including also the visit to Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), reaffirmed RYCO’s dedication to empowering young people, strengthening institutional cooperation, and advancing a shared vision of dialogue and opportunities across the Western Balkans.

13/11/2025

Our second stop of the "In Motion with Youth" RYCO Tour 📍in Shtime, brought together inspiring young people, local leaders, and changemakers ready to shape a more connected WB.

Thank you to Deputy Mayor , CEO of LDA Europe and everyone who joined, shared their views, and brought their energy to the room.

On to the next stop! 🚗