TIRANA, June 23 /ATA/- By Maela Marini/ The Albanian government and the Italian hydrocarbons company Eni S.p.A. signed a memorandum of understanding in Tirana on Tuesday to explore the feasibility of developing national infrastructure for the supply and storage of oil and gas products. The initiative aims to bolster energy security, support economic growth, and strengthen Albania’s regional role.

In his address on the occasion, Prime Minister Edi Rama said the plan involves establishing a company that would represent a new model of approach to both the national and regional hydrocarbons market.

Rama stated: “I recall that some time ago, at the beginning of this term, we presented to the public our ambition to establish a new player in the hydrocarbons market—a modern and dynamic operator which, in a sense, also performs a regulatory function within the market, with the objective of ensuring improved opportunities for consumers.”

Rama also noted that “along the way, a significant crisis emerged which once again brought into question the issue of strategic oil reserves.” He added that “our strategic oil reserves are governed by a legal framework which, with the new law advanced by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, is being further consolidated into a comprehensive system.”

He further underlined Albania’s “particularly strong strategic relationship” with Italy and its close cooperation with Eni S.p.A., describing it as a global hydrocarbons leader that has maintained a presence in Albania since 2019.

Rama said: “We approached Eni S.p.A. for strategic cooperation in establishing this new operator, which will also take on responsibility for ensuring the strategic oil reserve.”

The Prime Minister assured that, through this partnership, Albania would no longer face any uncertainty in the event of future crises concerning strategic reserves.

Rama said: “We have initiated a dialogue process that has led us today to the signing of this first step and the formalisation of the process for establishing the company. The company is an innovation, but given on the one hand the strong foundation of Eni S.p.A. itself, and on the other the expertise of its management team, it has the potential to become a new model of approach not only to the national, but also the regional hydrocarbons market.”

According to him, this initiative will represent another entity within the series of companies being established with the participation of the Albanian state.

Rama expressed confidence that, drawing on the managerial expertise of Eni S.p.A., the new operator will also operate in the international oil trading market.

Rama stated: “We are today highly encouraged and grateful for the willingness demonstrated by a global energy giant such as Eni S.p.A. to cooperate and jointly establish this hydrocarbons-sector startup with us. With the signing of this memorandum, we are paving the way to return here before August to announce the registration of this new company, which will serve as a significant partner to the Albanian public and a key guarantor of our future stability, through this strategic partnership with Italy and with what we consider the excellence of Italian excellence, namely ‘Eni’.”

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