Prime Minister Edi Rama held a hearing with the Greek minority in Saranda on Friday in the framework of the accountability tour, where he stressed that "there has been tremendous progress for a new agreement, which will be fair, equal and in mutual respect of each other". He stated that the law of war has been a stumbling block, which will nonetheless be abolished by the Greek parliament.
Regarding the negotiations with Greece, the premier said there have been tensions about the maritime agreement. Although he didn't mention any date about signing the maritime border agreement with his Greek counterpart, Tsipras, the Prime Minister said it is a historic one.
"It is a fact that we have inherited an unacceptable maritime agreement for which we had tensions with Athens because we have clearly stated that we do not recognize it and want a new deal. In fact, we have made tremendous progress for a new agreement that will be fair, equal, and in mutual respect," Rama said.
The head of government also spoke about the recent debate over the possibility of establishing refugee camps and centers for returning ISIS fighters in Albania, describing the claims as "cosmic hogwash, which can never happen in reality".
Referring to the opening of accession negotiations, PM Rama expressed confidence that Albania will be given the green light, while implying that there is no process without conditions on the road to the EU.
"I am confident that the green light will light up in one way or another and there is a point of no return for Albania in this process. There is no unconditional process on the road to the EU. Montenegro is holding negotiations today and has 94 conditions," he noted.
Rama further noted that after all, the integration process is not about to go to Brussels, but to make Albania worthy and a decent state like any European country.
$We Believe in Tourism Potential, Sejko Says
The European Fund for South East Europe (EFSE) is committed to provide its support both in funds and knowledge for the Bank of Albania to improve access to financing for small enterprise sector
TIRANA - Albania's macroeconomic environment is considered stable and the economic developments are optimistic, especially for the tourism sector, with emphasis on the potential that this sector has in the future, Governor of the Bank of Albania, Gent Sejko said on Friday.
Governor Sejko received in a meeting the representatives of the European Fund for South East Europe (EFSE), chaired by Christoph Tiskens, the Bank of Albania said in a press release.
During his speech, Sejko focused on the latest economic and financial developments in Albania, with a special emphasis on the Bank of Albania's recent decision-making on inflation and the exchange rate.
Regarding the financial developments in the country, Sejko noted that the Albanian banking system appears with good financial indicators, is capitalized, liquid and financially healthy.
On the other hand, Tiskens shared the same optimism for the current stage of economic and financial development of the South Eastern European (SEE) region, including Albania.
During his speech, he also noted the economic revival of the moment as well as improved access of enterprises and individuals to financial services.
With regard to the prospect of cooperation between the two institutions, Sejko and Tiskens agreed more work needs to be done to improve access to financing for small enterprise sector.
For this purpose, EFSE is committed to provide its support both in funds and knowledge aiming at reducing the costs associated with lending to this segment, the statement noted.
Regarding this topic, Governor Sejko added that productivity growth, especially for smaller firms, is very important for the country's economic convergence.
Fulfillment of investment capital needs remains a major challenge for small producers, as they have little or no credit history in the financial system, Sejko added.
For this reason, micro data analyzes have become the subject of discussion in the activities and conferences organized by the Bank of Albania to understand the needs of small businesses and how they can be helped to improve infrastructure in order to increase the involvement of their financial future.
Governor Sejko said the central bank welcomes EFSE's contribution to reducing the costs for allocating funds to these enterprises.