Rama dismissed as absurd the criticism that, as he put it, “supposedly, our projects involve forcibly evicting people from their homes in order to impose projects designed by international architects without taking people into consideration”.

Rama rejected claims that foreign architects are brought to Albania to undertake projects that circumvent urban planning standards and regulations. He said that while European countries have debated overregulation and obstacles to urban and architectural development, this does not mean Albania builds without rules or permits practices that would be unacceptable elsewhere in Europe.

Rama said the projects shortlisted in the international competition for the “Tirana Fountain Tower” were selected through a professional decision-making process led by juries made up mainly of architects, urban planners and renowned academics. He stressed that the Albanian members of the jury, who are in the minority, had neither directed nor influenced the panel’s decisions, which he said were based solely on professional judgement.

Rama said the site and the park are of historical significance but have undergone several transformations over the years, including during the communist period, when a building was constructed there. He added that the transition to a market economy subsequently created the need for further development, while current conditions now call for another intervention in the area.

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