TIRANA, June 15 /ATA/ The Albanian government and KfW signed on Tuesday an agreement on a EUR 100 million financing for the Albanian power system.
The agreement was signed by Minister of Finance and Economy, Anila Denaj, and the Director of KfW Regional Office for Albania, Björn Thies, in the presence of the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Tirana, Peter Zingraf.
After the signing of this agreement, Minister Denaj said that the energy sector in Albania remains a priority in the structural reforms designed to spur the economy. Therefore, she continued, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy is implementing the strategic plan on reformation of the energy sector in Albania.
According to Denaj, this strategic plan includes a series of of measures aimed at creating a market according to the model of the European Union, which is based on competitive prices and is guided by the principles of transparency, non-discrimination and sustainability.
The EUR 100 million loan agreement, she added, is a major boost for Albania’s energy sector reform processes.
“The government has pledged to continue the work for several years now, a work which has begun to come to fruition, enabling the full operation of the Energy Exchange or otherwise called APEX and the gradual opening of the retail market, along with the creation of a competitive energy market, ” said Denaj.
The Minister assessed that the energy sector will be a strategic priority in the third term of office as part of the ongoing reform launched with the support of international partners.
The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Peter Zingraf, assessed that the reforms undertaken by the Albanian government are impressive. Through this agreement, he said, the German government supports the reform of the energy market in Albania, which is an important step on Albania’s path to the European Union, as it aims to create a transparent market that will boost Albania’s economic growth and private sector investment in the energy market.
The director of the KfW Regional Office for Albania, Björn Thies, described the loan agreement as a landmark in the history of cooperation between Albania and KfW.
Energy, he said, is an important sector in the light of this cooperation. According to him, the signing of the agreement opens a new chapter of joint cooperation.
/sm/
