A French company was chosen to produce the new biometric passports and identity cards for Albania, the country’s Interior Minister Bujar Nishani announced today.
The Sagem Securite company, based in Paris, was chosen among seven companies who participated in an international tender. It will begin production of the new identity documents within the next six months.
International media noted that since the fall of communism in 1990 in Albania, no new ID cards have been produced by the country’s citizens, because of problems with the civil registry.
The production of the new biometric documents is part of Albania’s efforts towards European integration. Through it, Albania will join most of the countries throughout the region that issued their citizens with new documents, complying with international standards, following the fall of communism.
Media reported recently that Bulgarians will also begin a switchover to biometric identity documents. However, in order to avoid a rush and additional expenses, their current passport and ID cards will be substituted by biometric ones only after the former expire. (Balkan Travellers)
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