Albania Talks on South Stream

Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov said Friday that Moscow might include Albania in the South Stream gas pipeline, which will carry Russian gas to southeastern Europe.
Titov said Russia would consider extending the planned pipeline to the small Balkan country, according to an Albanian government statement. Albania is not currently linked to any international gas pipelines.
Titov spoke after talks Friday with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
South Stream will deal a blow to the rival Nabucco pipeline, which is supported by the United States and the European Union.
Austria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria and Croatia have signed on to South Stream, which will lead under the Black Sea to Bulgaria. The joint venture between Gazprom and Italy's Eni will open in 2015.

News source: The Moscow Times link: article

Albania and United States discuss the important areas of bilateral cooperation

Prime Minister Sali Berisha in the meeting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Countryman, who was accompanied in this meeting by the charge d'affaires of the U.S., Ms. Deborah Jones.
Cordially welcome and expressed his pleasure for the visit, Premier Berisha thanked the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Countryman support, emergency support and assistance of the United States of America have given throughout this period in Albania. In particular, Prime Minister Sali Berisha praised the valuable contribution to the U.S., Albania's historical achievement for membership in NATO.
Countryman Lord Prime Minister Berisha expressed his great appreciation to the United States have to cooperate with Albania and the close friendship between these countries and peoples. U.S. to assess the commitment and seriousness of Albania on cooperation in common security issues in particular Albania's contribution to peace missions in service as Afghanistan etc.. Mr. Countryman also expressed appreciation for the constructive policies of the moderate role of Albania in the service of peace and cooperation in the region.
The meeting discussed the success in important areas of bilateral cooperation in the Threshold of the Millennium Project as a result of which Albania has made significant achievements in terms of electronic registration of the business through One Stop Shop, electronic or electronic procurement fee.

In this context, it was reconfirmed the commitment of both countries and governments to continue and deepen cooperation in all fields for the benefit of mutual interest and the good of both peoples friends.
The meeting discussed the political situation in the country. Premier Berisha informed deputy assistant secretary of state on the bid Countryman majority to table parliamentary political parties to initiate electoral reform and the determination of the majority to vote all amendments that would suggest the opposition to the electoral legal framework provided the only that they are certified by the Venice Commission or ODIHR.
Finally the meeting also discussed the situation in the region. It was estimated that the last visit of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was as an important event which proves once again the United States of America is for the consolidation of peace, security and stability in the region but also an important contributor in this regard

News source Balkans.com link: article

Main Pillars of Albania's 2011 priorities include roads, tourism and agriculture-PM

Albania's Premier Berisha announced that roads, tourism, strong support for the guidelines of visa problems, parking, education, increased salaries and pensions, the end of extreme poverty, large-scale projects in agriculture will be the main pillars of 2011 draftOn Wednesday's cabinet meeting, Albania's Premier Berisha focused on some of the main pillars should be focused on in the draft of 2011. Listing priorities, Premier Berisha stressed that they will become all the effort that this year's budget directly addressed to citizens, so they feel that with the increase of salaries and pensions, with new roads, the cleanliness, the supply water, etc..One of the main pillars will focus on the draft of 2011, - said the prime minister - is road construction project, which will be invested 500 million dollars.

With this investment will ensure that the end of this mandate every Albanian citizen will arrive in its capital for a time 2 times shorter and that will be created and used great value.The Premier stressed that the draft budget of 2011 will strongly support all the problems of visa guidelines, which will serve exaltation, safety and modernization of the largest ever in the country.Another very important area that must be supported by the draft budget is tourism. Premier Berisha said that the funds will address the local government units will be, first and foremost and above all, the problems related to tourism, where the main issue is cleaning. Prime Minister asked the Minister of Tourism and Environment Minister to present the most suitable framework associated with clearance of the coast. Likewise, Premier Berisha urged that the government allocates grants to local governments to use the vital needs of citizens, and brought the example of non-payment by local authorities, the electricity consumed in the water.  Premier Berisha urged that this draft budget be provided for investment in parking places, in order to solve this problem, especially in Tirana and Gjirokastra.

The premier said that in these 12 years in Tirana is not built any parking, what brought traffic chaos. Likewise, Premier Berisha urged that the issue of parking in Gjirokastra be taken as top priority, noting that construction of parking lots will be possible to create opportunity in some of the traditional buildings of the town, the museum area, be placed official institutions.  In the field of education, Premier Berisha urged that priority this year to have gardens, aiming at 64 percent is the figure of children of kindergarten age who attend those achieved by 96 to 98 percent.  Another key pillar which will focus on the draft budget is the increase of salaries and pensions.

Further, Premier Berisha focused on the completion this year of the study of extreme poverty, which stressed that in Albania at the end of 2011 there will be no citizen in extreme poverty, can not have citizens with incomes below 1.25 dollars daily.  In the field of Agriculture, Premier Berisha said that will be supported major projects, where subsidies will be included in the cultivation of nuts, chestnut, almond, hazelnut, pomegranate, and the growth of bees. Premier said it is very important that we encourage anything that increases income for farmers in Albania.  At the end of his speech the Prime Minister stressed that in a weeks time, the biggest budget in the history of this country, should rimodelohet based on these pillars.

News source: Balkans.com link: article

One Billion leke hospital building inaugurated in Albania

Albania's Prime Minister Sali Berisha attended Tuesday, the inauguration ceremony of the new hospital building in Kavaja, an investment of 1 billion lekë. Invited by the medical staff of the hospital, PM Berisha expressed his pleasure at inaugurating the new building of contemporary standards, but even because of the fact that it’s provided with modern equipment- a one billion lekë investment.

 

 The Prime Minister highlighted in his speech some important development. "The citizens of Kavaja and all Albania will enjoy this autumn visa-free travel over European space.  This work and others are evidence of vitality and dynamism of Albanian economy. It is able to finance, asphalt and build on the second mandate 7 thousand km road countrywide, to rebuild more than 1 thousand schools and hundreds of medical centers and hospitals.  Other shorter roads, which will transform Kavaja into a cradle of Tirana metropolis, will begin building next year. Kavaja is the district with zero maternal mortality and this gives credit to Kavaja health system. expressed the Albanian Prime Minister" 

News source: Balkans.com link: article

Greek cement affiliate invests over Euro 200 million in Albanian factory

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha attended the inauguration of the “ANTEA Cement” factory, affiliated to the TITAN Cement group, in Bokë të Kuqe, Krujë, a 200 million euro investment. The factory has a total production of 1.5 million ton annually and it’s expected to meet the needs of the domestic market and export a part of the production.

 

In his speech delivered on this occasion, PM Berisha evaluated highly the builders of this factory for their trust and investment made, thus making a contribution to development of the Albanian economy.

 

PM Berisha ensured the leaders of the TITAN Cement group that the government will make good efforts for a more and more friendly environment toward the investments of this group and the foreign investments in general.

News source: Balkans.com link: article