This is what German Ambassador to Albania Karl Bergner said on Wednesday, at the joint ceremony of the kickoff of works on the Elbasan electrical substation which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, also Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku, Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Economic Affairs of North Macedonia Fatmir Bytyqi, Ambassador of the European Union in Albania Silvio Gonzato, the director of the KfW Office in Albania Brit Horschke, as well as other senior officials from Albania and North Macedonia.
The project is financed by a loan of 50 million euros extended by the German government through the KfW Development Bank and a grant of 15.7 million euros provided by the European Union through the Western Balkans Investment Facility (WBIF), which will be implemented by KfW.

Bergner pointed out that the transmission line will improve Albania’s integration into the regional electricity system and strengthen east-west high voltage connections by closing the 400 kV ring with Greece.

“This is an important achievement of the Regional Partnership for Climate, the implementation of which was agreed upon between the countries of the Western Balkans and Germany during the Summit of the Berlin Process held in Tirana in October 2023,” the German ambassador to Albania Karl Bergner said.

The German Development Bank KfW finances the German-Albanian Financial Cooperation through various projects and programs. KfW provides grants and soft loans for key infrastructure investments and consulting services related to various projects. German cooperation with Albania began in 1988. Since that year, the German Government, through KfW, has committed a total amount of over one billion euros for development projects and programs. The energy sector is one of the key sectors of the German-Albanian Financial Cooperation with an active investment portfolio of 386 million euros.
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