Deputy Prime Minister, also Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku, stated on Friday that, “the government adopted today the framework agreement between the Council of Ministers and Eagle Hills Real Estate Development, Albanian Seaports Development Company, sh.a. and Nshmi Development L.L.C, on the strategic investment project “Durres Marina & Yachts.”

Balluku described this agreement as another major step forward in the development of Albanian economy.

“The project for the New Tourist Port of Durrës is the largest foreign investment in the region, which will not only fundamentally transform the city of Durrës, but will elevate tourism in Albania to another international level”, emphasized Balluku.

She said that this agreement is about the construction of the waterfront of the Durrës port and that of Yachts.

According to her, in this cooperation the state will participate in a joint venture with the private investor, a decision conditioned by the signing of a valid agreement between the parties. Despite the increase of capital by the private investor, the quota of the state shareholder will not be affected.

“It is this commercial company created by the two public and private partners that will develop the project. It is a development project in which for the first time Albania is the holder of the shares for such a large project with an investment value of 2 billion euros”, she said.

The project will have a comprehensive positive impact, which puts Albania on the global tourism map.
This agreement as a whole outlines the obligations and rights of each party participating in this investment in accordance with the legal provisions in force. The agreement will go through the parliament after it is discussed in the relevant committees.

Balluku said that “the activity of the Port will not be interrupted during the implementation phases of the project, while the investment will boost the development of the property around.”
The minister also said, in order to promote development, we have designed the project for the construction of the new commercial port of Durrës, which will be located in the area of Porto Romano, and we are at a very advanced stage of the project, which also entails the construction of a base for NATO facilities.

“We want to make sure that the Port of Durrës will serve the entire area of the Western Balkans.”
Initially, with a dry port, which will be connected through the railway from the port of Durrës to the dry port of Pristina, while we are also discussing with North Macedonia and Serbia, which are ready to use the port of Durres”, emphasized the minister.
/r.e/sm/