Benefits of Crans Montana forum questioned by local Albanians

TIRANA, May 15 – Some Albanian politicians and noted personalities have questioned whether the holding of the Crans Montana forum was bringing any good at all to the country.
The Second Yearly Session of the Crans Montana Forum was held in Tirana last week focusing on the needs of the countries of South Eastern Europe to work closer together towards mutual goals of major importance for Albanian, as well as regional economic development.
The Crans Montana Forum is an International Organization created in 1986 whose importance and prestige are well established. It is recognized notably for its contribution to the construction of a more humane world. The first Crans Montana Forum worked for the promotion of international cooperation and contributed to global growth while ensuring a high level of stability, equity and security. The aim is also to create procedures to ensure a global dialog. The first Crans Montana Forum also focused on the political and economic reconstruction of post Cold War Europe. Since this first event, the Forum continued to contribute and create meeting opportunities for its participants. It is now a world-renowned event which is on the agenda of every major decision-maker to learn of the exceptional opportunities to be found at the Forum. The Foundation has also continued to enlarge its’ activities in order to best suit the participants’ developing needs.
“Albania is working hard towards establishing a rule of law, economic development and European integration. Indeed Albania is part of a strategic region which must, as soon as possible, be integrated into the European Union. This is a matter to assure peace, stability and democracy,” said a forum’s statement on the meeting.
The forum, presented in an informal and conversational atmosphere, reviews the opportunities for trade and investment in Albania. Later, a regional dimension was added as South Eastern European Countries recognized the need to work more closely to coordinate regional infrastructure development, trade liberalization, private sector development, energy security as well as social cohesion and education.
But Erjon Brace of the opposition Socialists questioned whether 320 million leks that the government had paid for hosting the forum was worth spending.
The same questions were asked by former president Rexhep Meidani, saying that the meeting had brought no big world investors or personalities to Albania.
Kosovar Prime Minister Agim Ceku was the only senior official, together with managers of some companies and the international institutions, to attend the conference.