During the ceremony organized in North Macedonia to mark the kick off works for building of the 400 kV Albania-North Macedonia interconnection line, Minister Karakaçi appreciated that this is a very important moment for regional cooperation and for the future of our two countries.

He underlined that Albania has already entered a new phase of energy development where diversification of energy production sources, based on a well-studied strategy, is yielding important results.

From a system traditionally based on hydropower stations, Karakaçi emphasized that present-day Albania is getting transformed into a modern, diversified system oriented towards renewable sources.

“With over 2.5 GW of hydro and over 3 GW of new wind/solar projects on the horizon, our country is becoming a key regional energy player. But, of course, this transformation cannot be achieved without a developed transmission network and strong cross-border interconnections”, he added.

According to the minister, “As a cornerstone of Corridor VIII, the 400 kV Elbasan-Bitola line is a pivotal component of the East-West Energy Corridor.”

Karakaçi also assessed that this line is not only a bilateral project, but it is part of a broader vision, the VIII Energy Corridor, which connects Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania and further Italy.

According to him, this project is also a clear proof that regional cooperation works.

In this regard, Minister Karakaçi assured that the Albanian government has been and will remain open and ready to strengthen and promote cooperation, in mutual interest.

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Balluku wrote in the social media that interconnection lines are important lines for geopolitical relations.

“The interconnection lines are not just energy transmission lines, but are important lines of geopolitical relations, especially for dynamic regions like the Balkans,” Balluku emphasized. /p.s./

Albania had not been able to achieve for 100 years or more the justice independence while now the SP has managed to bring the country to the doors of the European Union.

“Among the 40 or so ministers who have worked in the governments headed by me, only a handful of socialist ministers in these ten years who are related to the investigations carried out by SPAK, with accusations or punishments, have not left office because of SPAK, but have been dismissed first of all by me so that to correct the work targets.”I have never been a shield for anyone I used to work with yesterday and today,” said Rama.

“The opposite is true. There is a red line between my function and the function of justice. As written in the constitution and the law of the government, “Whoever puts his foot in knows what he’s doing,” continues Rama.

“If you haven’t done anything wrong, you don’t need me and the SP to keep you, the truth backs you, so fight for your truth, because this party and this government cannot make any longer comments on the cases opened by SPAK. As a matter of fact, the higher the SPAK standard is raised, the more we expect the truth only from SPAK”, stated the prime minister./a.f/p.s./

In the ceremony held today in Elbasan, the representatives of the Albanian authorities and relevant institutions of the Republic of North Macedonia, as well as actors in the field from both countries, were present on this occasion.

Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku said that this is an important day for the Albanian electricity system, a regional project and beyond.

“We are here in Corridor VIII; it has several components: energy, railway, road, and above all it is the European security corridor”, said Balluku. She added that this corridor, otherwise known as “Via Egnatia in electricity”, part of the 8th corridor is a basic cross-border infrastructure in electricity and will closely connect the markets of both countries. It will significantly affect both the combination of natural resources for electricity production and reduction of the respective costs of supplying both markets with electricity, increasing the competitiveness of the region, as well as directly affecting the economic growth of both countries.”

“This interconnection line increases our transmission capacity by 1,500 megawatt hours, giving us convenience for power transmission. Also, the line increases energy security and serves the wider regional integration of both countries in the Balkan electricity market and beyond”, said Balluku./p.s./

Balluku said that during the meeting, they put the emphasis on commitment of the two teams for implementation of the major project for the transmission line Albania – Italy.

“Strengthening the transmission lines is part of the energy strategy for Albania in 2030, to accommodate the increase in production capacity and the return of our country to a net exporter, not only for the region, but also more widely, for Europe”, stated Balluku./p.s./

Balluku said that the electricity line has a length of nearly 25 kilometers. And this investment improves the supply with electricity for more than 13 thousand subscribers.

Also, Balluku emphasized, even the self-producing consumers benefit directly from this investment through the sustainability of technical parameters.

“We modernize the distribution network, increase the quality of service to citizens”, underlined Balluku in a post in the social media. /p.s./