Immediately after the conclusion of the KPE Summit, which took place in Tirana, Prime Minister Edi Rama held a conversation with producer Richard Attias, one of the organizers of the FII (Future Investment Initiative).
Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke about encouraging cooperation between the public and private sectors, emphasizing the importance of spaces where decision-makers and people on the ground can interact and exchange ideas.
He emphasized Albania's potential as a hub for Europe due to its geographical and cultural characteristics, comparing it to a "new Italy" for the opportunities and hospitality it offers.
The Prime Minister identified energy, innovation and tourism as key sectors for investment, with projects under development in renewable energy and technology parks, writes A2 CNN.
The chief executive also addressed the European Union's challenges in the decision-making process, emphasizing the need for unity to confront rising global powers.
Excerpts from the discussion:
Richard Attias: Mr. Prime Minister, you opened the first ever edition of the FII Priority for Europe meeting in Tirana, which is an investment forum, right after the organization of the EPC, the European Political Community conference. What recommendations do you have for the public and private sectors to work together in the current era?
Prime Minister Edi Rama: First of all, what I want to say is that what happened in Tirana (the holding of the Summit and the holding of the Forum) was unimaginable, not so long ago, and I want to thank you very much and your Institute for this extraordinary opportunity. I was very surprised when I heard from Mr. Ramayan that this is your first time in Europe. I think this is exactly a way to approach the very essential issue of joining forces between the public and private sectors and it is precisely in these types of meeting places where people, who come from the field where everything happens, can interact, raise questions, get answers, and even more than that, get in touch with each other. By the way, we had the honor of having the French President here and, when he was leaving, he exchanged contacts with three people. One of them was someone who was doing healthcare through artificial intelligence, who was working in London, and President Macron said to him, “Why London? You should come to Paris. Give me your contacts. I’ll call.” It’s extraordinary, it’s absolutely amazing.
Richard Attias: I discovered your country – I say this with complete modesty – just a few months ago with my wife and we fell in love with this country, with its people and every time people ask us, “what do you think of Albania” – I don’t know if you like my comparison – but I think you are the new Switzerland of Europe. You are right in the center of Europe and from a geographical point of view you have even more right to be the center of Europe. Second, culture. Diversity of cultures, diversity of religious beliefs, a peaceful country, a country of tolerance. Why have you been so silent until now? The whole world is already discovering Albania, it is discovering Tirana. Ninety percent of our delegates are positively surprised by the choice we made and I think this is just the beginning. What do you expect the future of Albania to be like?
Prime Minister Edi Rama: First of all, I was a little scared when you said “New Switzerland”, because, on the one hand, we – I think – cannot become perfect like a Swiss watch and on the other hand, if we were to become like that, then Albania would be terribly boring. I would prefer a “New Italy”, where you find opportunities, where you find the pleasure of hospitality, of food, but where you don’t lose your smile. God has blessed us, but history has cursed us, a curse where, to be honest, we have also had our contribution for many, many years and centuries. This country, with a very small territory, only 28,000 square kilometers, where you find two seas, mountains, nine rivers, lakes, you find a different landscape for every kilometer, it is truly a place to visit, a place to stay, to invest, but, on the other hand, this country has suffered greatly from stigma and it has been very difficult to bring people to Albania because the stigma was very great. Then, when they came, every time they came, they said: "Oh, but here it is not as we expected". Now, we have gone beyond and last year we closed with 12 million tourists, and this is an extraordinary figure for a country with only 2.4 million. Now, we are seeking to receive what you are so kindly bringing to the country, excellence, the best quality, because we need to strike a balance between mass and quality, otherwise, along the way, we may lose not only the opportunity to be Switzerland, which I don't think we have, but also the opportunity to be a new Italy.
(A2 Televizion)
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