Following are the full remarks by Kushner on Development in Albania:

Claim

[Kushner] had been awarded development rights without public notice or competitive bidding, and that the amendment to unlock protected land had been rushed through parliament. Rama even allowed an airport to be built inside the preserve.

Reality

The land was not awarded to us by the Albanian government. Our partnership purchased it from a private party for €230 million in a private transaction, among the highest prices paid in the region for a transaction of this scale. Title was reviewed by counsel and verified.

This project began as a straightforward private real-estate investment based on our belief in Albania’s potential as a rising destination and the opportunity to create something truly special there.

We are investing substantial private capital, betting on a country that has never had a project of this scale. There are no guarantees. We are taking that risk because we believe in Albania and we believe in Albanians. If successful, the project could represent approximately €4 billion of investment and create significant jobs, economic activity and international visibility for Albania.

Since acquiring the land, we have spent more than three years and tens of millions of dollars studying the site, its environment and the opportunities and needs of the region, while assembling exceptional architects, designers, engineers, environmental experts and partners to shape the project responsibly. The goal has never been simply to develop the land, but to create something that can become a platform for opportunity and long-term growth for Albania.

Asher Abehsera, a longtime friend and business partner with a track record of successful development, joined as a partner and CEO of the project and has led the day-to-day work for the past four years.

The Kastrati family, a reputable Albanian business family with deep roots and great pride in their country, originally brought us the land opportunity and shares our belief in Albania’s potential.

I first met Ramez and Moutaz Alkhayyat in Doha during the 2022 World Cup and was impressed by their story and capabilities. They had fled Syria as refugees under the brutal Assad regime, with many of their properties and holdings later confiscated by the government and were given the opportunity to rebuild their lives and businesses in Qatar. Their arrival coincided with Qatar’s enormous construction needs ahead of the World Cup, and they became deeply involved in Doha’s transformative build-out.

That is an important distinction: this is an investment, not something we were given. We purchased the land for €230 million, are committing substantial additional private capital and bear the risk of whether the project succeeds. If it does, Albania will benefit through jobs, tourism, economic opportunity and long-term growth.

My own focus has principally been on the vision and design, bringing together exceptional architects, partners, designers and creators to create a destination unlike anything else in the region. I am a minority partner and do not have day-to-day involvement in the project.

The partnership has engaged extensively with the local community in Vlore. We also understand that people have legitimate questions and concerns. The project will have to go through all relevant Albanian regulatory and environmental processes and earn the approvals necessary to proceed.

Our ambition is to build to the highest design and environmental standards and leave this extraordinary part of Albania greener, more biodiverse and environmentally stronger.

The suggestion that this project advanced to curry favor with President Trump also gets the chronology backwards. As the article itself notes, our interest began in the summer of 2021, when I was a private citizen and long before President Trump announced his 2024 campaign.

The same is true of the airport. The article implies, but doesn’t quite say, that government officials approved the airport at my behest. In fact, the airport was already approved by the time I first saw the project and was one of the factors that attracted me and informed my vision for what the region could become.

Ultimately, Albania will decide whether the project proceeds. If approved, I hope we can create something Albanians are proud of and that families from Albania and around the world will enjoy for generations.

Speaking to journalist Rudina Xhunga on the “Flasim Shqip” podcast, Rama said the protest would not have reached the same scale without their names being associated with the project.
“If Kushner’s name and Trump’s name had not been part of this project, I am certain this would not have reached the scale it did,” Rama said.

He said international political forces opposed to Trump had also turned the protests into a broader political confrontation.

“The entire anti-Trump part of international politics found a battlefield on the boulevard to challenge Donald Trump and defeat him through the Albanians,” Rama said.

Rama said the government had a responsibility to counter what he called false claims with documents and arguments, but acknowledged that concerns over property, transparency, environmental impact, public access and whether beaches would remain public were legitimate.

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At the extended meeting of the socialist Parliamentary group, PM Rama said that “The boulevard protests against the Zvërnec project took on both the Kushner-Trump development and a relentless online and offline army of detractors.”

“It’s not about being against Donald Trump—it’s ultimately against you and me. They hoped that this worldwide protest would deliver the miracle that Lulzim Basha’s local tent movement fell short of”, Rama added.

The prime minister emphasized that under these circumstances when millions of people who do not even know where Zvërnec is located, knew exactly what to think about Zvërnec.

“The turmoil of these past 20 days isn’t just about the state of Albania’s government. It’s a mirror reflecting the new era we’ve stepped into—the global realities and mounting challenges we will continually have to confront”, Rama added.

Rama argued that ten years ago, this issue would have remained an isolated domestic quarrel. ‘People would have taken sides,’ he said, ‘but the debate would have stayed within Albania, regardless of any foreign or supernatural interference.

Reflecting on the incident a decade later, the Prime Minister stated that what began as a violent clash between security guards and a protester in a remote Albanian village exploded within 48 hours into a worldwide digital war, echoing across every international media platform.

“This happened not because the world suddenly woke up one morning deeply concerned about the fate of Albania’s nature and the Narta flamingos,” he noted. “Until recently, right under the nose of an indifferent global community, the area was a lawless slaughterhouse. Thousands of Western hunters descended on our land to shoot birds and animals purely for sport. If we had waited for the world to act, the flamingos would have vanished completely a decade ago, driven away by the bullets of drunken, savage men.” /a.g/p.s./

Speaking at a press conference with journalists from European Union member states, Rama said public attention surrounding the project stemmed largely from Trump’s involvement through members of his family.

“I do not believe Albania’s flamingos would have generated such a stir if this were not seen as an opportunity to pursue a story connected to Donald Trump,” Rama said. “But this is not about Donald Trump.”

Rama said that “when Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump first visited Albania, it was uncertain whether Trump would end up in prison or would return to the White House.”

“For me, they were American investors asking whether they could have an opportunity in Albania, not members of Donald Trump’s family,” he said.

The Prime Minister said his government’s priority is to ensure that all investment projects were assessed on the basis of facts, transparency and their impact.

“I am the Prime Minister of Albania and I want everyone to come and invest here and to be friends of this country,” Rama said. “I do not believe Albania should become a battleground for political disputes in the United States or elsewhere.”

He said the project’s merits would ultimately be judged by its results.

“If the project delivers, it will move forward. If it does not deliver the right outcomes, it should be improved,” Rama said, adding that the development was expected to increase protected natural areas, greenery and environmental regeneration by 25%.

Rama also highlighted the involvement of internationally renowned architects in the project.

“Today, Albania is a country where some of the world’s leading architects are working on major projects,” he said.

The government head said Albania was seeking transformative investments capable of changing not only perceptions of the country but also its long-term development trajectory.

“We want beauty, we want quality, and we want projects that change this country once and for all,” Rama said. “For too long, perceptions of Albania have been shaped by stories about crime, corruption and drugs.”

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The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Coalition of the Willing summit for Ukraine, a coalition of 35 countries, which have pledged reinforced support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

We recall that “Atlantic Incubator Partners LLC”, the large international company in the field of tourism of Jared Kushner, has submitted to the Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA) on December 27, 2023, a project to invest in Sazan Island.

On December 30, 2024, Jared Kushner’s company received the status of strategic investor for the construction of a luxury resort on Sazan Island, from the Strategic Investment Committee under the leadership of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

According to the decision of the Committee, on the island an investment of 1.4 billion euros is foreseen and the construction is expected to extend to 8% of the island, or 45 hectares.

The project, a strategic investment, foresees the construction of exclusive villas on the island of Sazan, dedicated to elite tourism.

Sazan island is located between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, strategically positioned at the entrance to the Gulf of Vlora, in the Strait of Otranto that separates Italy from Albania. /m.m/r.e/a.f/p.s./

Speaking in a television talk show, the government head said the island, off Albania’s southern coast, was “the property of the state and the Albanian people and has never been sold and never will be.”

“The Albanian government will be a partner with the company or group that invests there, and partnership negotiations are still ongoing,” he added.

Rama dismissed speculation that the project was linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of the U.S. President Donald Trump after his election to the White House.

“That is not true. It is regrettable how the international media has described this process since the very beginning. When I first met Jared and when we started working on this, nobody knew whether Donald Trump would go to the White House or to prison. This has nothing to do with politics. For me they have been, and remain, American investors – just like any other Americans,” Rama said.

Asked whether he would press ahead with the project if U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris were to win the presidential election, Rama said the issue had never been political.

“Albania is not a place where conflicts or problems from the United States can be transferred. Every American who comes here is a friend, and every investor is welcome. Everything has been done respecting the law and procedures,” he said.

The Premier announced that a full masterplan for Sazan’s redevelopment would be ready within months.

“Work is under way to turn Sazan into a dream destination. This will set a new standard for hospitality infrastructure not only in Albania but across the Mediterranean,” he said, citing cooperation with architects, environmental engineers and landscape designers.

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They have chosen to have lunch on this trip at one of the restaurants in the coastal city and they have also posted a photo in the social media.

In the background, the sunset and the island of Sazan, where Donald Trump’s son-in-law is expected to invest in a super resort in one of the most beautiful areas of Albania.

“A golden sunset and an unforgettable evening at Gjurma restaurant. It was a true honor to welcome Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, together with their beautiful family, on the shores of Vlora.

Moments like this inspire us to pursue excellence every day — through authenticity, elegance, and heartfelt hospitality.

Thank you for choosing,” wrote in the social media Aldo Mehmeti, chef of the restaurant where Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump had lunch.

With the strategic investor status since January, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will build a resort worth 1.4 billion dollars, where the Albanian state will also be part of the investment. /gj.m//r.e//a.f/p.s./

Kushner praised Prime Minister Edi Rama’s leadership, calling him “a smart and capable leader”, highlighting his government efforts to transform Albania and the investment climate in the country.

In his virtual address at the Tirana investment forum, Kushner also confirmed plans on a high-end resort in the Sazan Island, Albania’s southern Riviera, saying the project “will be unique in the world and it will attract leading international brands and create a fantastic community.”

He said that Albania is an amazing country, home to stunning natural beauties, and credited the government for providing a safe, opportunity-rich environment, shaped by economic reforms and infrastructure projects, making the country attractive for foreign investment.

“The changes here translate into better wages and higher quality of life,” Kushner said.

“Edi showed us what an artist can do with a country,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Rama.

He pointed Albania’s geographic appeal, underlining that the resort’s location is “a perfect one – just a few kilometres from Italy and Corfu, and just 10-minute drive from the new International Vlora airport.”

“Our resort project in Sazan will be unique in the world. We’ll build something spectacular and unveil it soon,” he added.

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According to Ndreca, strategic investments from the USA add value not only to the country’s economy, but also to the economic and political relations between the two allied countries.

“Not that he is former president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, but he is an American investor and being so he influences the inter-state relations between the two countries. Sazani island is a gem, but for 30 years it has not been exploited; it has not been used”, said Ndreca.

According to him, the Sazan island project has been submitted to the Foreign Investment Agency (AIDA) and there is expected the evaluation of this offer.

“The prime minister has explained it in a crystal clear way. There is an interest expressed from an investor, like Mr. Kushner. He has applied to AIDA and it is a project that will be evaluated like every other project. But, it remains to be evaluated their offer; it must be seen how this offer complies with the law on strategic investments and then it will be forwarded to the government, where it will be evaluated how this project will be continued”, emphasized Ndreca.

He said that, “There is absolutely no official request for Zvërnec until now; no one has submitted a request for strategic investment there. But, it has been confirmed that there is a request for Sazan”.

The MP of the Socialist Party highlighted that the law on strategic investments has turned the country into an investment space for world-renowned brands./r.e/p.s./