“The new Durres tourist port is set to become one of the most important marines, not only in the Mediterranean, but also in Europe, with a capacity twice as large as the Montenegro port, currently one of the most renowned tourist projects in the Mediterranean,” Infrastructure and Energy Minister Belinda Balluku said in her remarks at a ceremony to present the masterplan on the new Durres tourist port.

According to her, tourism is one of the main sectors fuelling economic development of the coastal city and  noted that Durres has tremendous potential to become one of the most important centres of the Mediterranean tourism.

Balluku also underlined that Durres Port is one of the most important economic centres in Albania with everything based on its maritime economy.

“The project also includes construction of the new commercial port, to be relocated just 9 kilometres from the existing port in Porto Palermo area and the new port is designed to meet highest EU environmental standards,” Balluku said.

Construction of the new port – she went on saying –will usher in a new era for Durres and entire region in terms of seaborne trade.

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“I remember when I met you for first time and you said: Mohamed, I want to uplift my people. I am a businessman, yet an emotional businessman and I was deeply moved by that, because I do business in many countries around the world, but I rarely meet people like you, where at the centre of everything are the people. If we don’t uplift human life, their spirit, then we haven’t done our job, we are not successful,” Alabbar said addressing to Prime Minister at an event in the coastal city of Durres on Friday afternoon.

Alabbar put emphasis on importance of the project in the lives of young people and the experience they would gain.

“If we don’t train and teach thousands of young boys and girls most advanced technologies and the way how such massive projects would be implemented, then we have failed,” he said.

Alabbar said he had visited Durres several times, but he was somehow disappointed at the pollution level generated by the existing seaport.

“We should respect our people, the environment, because our children need to see better things. This is a historical moment in my life and, I believe, in the life of Albania and I want assure you that we will work hard and we will do the right things to deliver on this,” Alabbar stated.

The businessmen said he owed a decent project to citizens in Durres and whole Albania also for trusting him.

“I would avail myself of this opportunity to tell you that you would see the added value in the next 4 or 5 years,” he said.

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