Vatican City, Dec 4, 2007 / 09:55 am
Yesterday, Albania and the Holy See signed an agreement regarding economic and fiscal matters.
The agreement was signed at the Office of the Minister of Finance in the Albanian capital, Tirana, by the Papal Nuncio in the city, Msgr. Giovanni Bulaitis; and the Financial Minister of Albania, Ridvan Bode.
According to a release from the Holy See, the pact “comes in the wake of the accord between the two countries concluded in 2002, and creates a juridical framework for the fiscal treatment of ecclesiastical institutions recognized as non-profit juridical entities.” Particularly, “it regulates the fiscal status of Catholic Church organizations in Albania, the economic administration of such structures, and the contributory- insurance scheme for the non-Albanian religious and lay personnel who serve in them."
The agreement, the press release continues, “will come into effect following the exchange of the instruments of ratification.”