TIRANA, Feb  1  /ATA/ Local and foreign companies in the field of port infrastructure development participated on Wednesday in Tirana in an informative- consultative meeting where the engineering project of the new commercial port in Porto-Romano Durrës was presented.

The Deputy Prime Minister, also Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, speaking at the meeting, said that “all phases of the study of this project, economic analyses and social, environmental and archaeological impacts according to the best standards, have already been closed.”

“The port strategy of the Albanian government focuses on three main points: the modernization of the infrastructure in the port complex in Porto Romano Durrës, which is an industrial area, which will also be connected with a 4 km railway and the surface available encompasses 60 ha for an unlimited economic development. Secondly, we aim to develop logistics and maritime transport as a main pillar of the Blue Economy, and thirdly, the positioning of Albania as a strategic place in the economic interconnection and supply chains of SEE,” said Balluku.

According to her, the Port of Porto Romano will not only serve Albania. Balluku said that  two agreements have been signed with North Macedonia and Kosovo on the construction of two dry ports in Struga and Pristina, respectively. Meanwhile, we are working with other countries, so that this port serves other countries of the Western Balkans.

Balluku pointed out that the difficulties of the last few years related to the crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine and the COVID19 pandemic taught us that the supply chain could be disrupted.

Ports, she said, are critical infrastructure at this point, so our investments are focused on this sector to sustain the country’s supply chain for several decades to come.

Meanwhile, we are making important investments in the two international airports of Tirana and Kukës and we are about to deliver the third airport, the international airport of Vlora. We have started the cooperation with the EU for the rebuilding of the new railway network that serves this new project investment in Porto Romano.

While evaluating the role and great impact of this investment in the economy and geopolitics, Balluku said that the new Durrës port complex – Porto Romano and the Yacht Port (which is the existing port that is being transformed into a modern port of the Yacht Marina) will boost a multidimensional development.

“We foresee an investment of 390 million euros in this port, which will include a space from 80 ha today, to 450 ha available for the new port”, said Balluku.

The project for the new commercial port of Durrës in Porto Romano was designed by the Dutch studio “Royal Haskoning DHV,” one of the five most prestigious companies in the world in the field of designing ports, airports, land and underground infrastructure, energy, mining, industrial, as well as urban and rural developments.

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