Berisha’s trip to Italy clouded by Berlusconi’s “love” for women

TIRANA, Feb. 15 – The Italian prime minister, who is renowned for making jokes of questionable taste, almost negated the importance of Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s visit with his jokes on beautiful women.
Berlusconi, 73, said an accord between Italy and Albania had successfully clamped down on the trafficking of illegal immigrants across the Adriatic Sea by people smugglers.
Meanwhile Berisha was saying that his country’s cabinet had passed a moratorium on banning speed boats to follow efforts in clamping down on illegal trafficking through Adriatic waters to Italy.
Berlusconi interfered, “I said to Sali – we’d make exceptions for anyone bringing over beautiful girls.” Berlusconi, whose wife is divorcing him for his alleged philandering, also joked with female Albanian journalists, “You know I’m single now.”
His remarks were criticized by his opponents as boorish and inappropriate.
Berlusconi has a history of making ribald remarks at international summits and during meetings with heads of state.
Berisha was in Italy to take aprt at a Verona meeting to urge Italian businesses to come and invest in Albania, and also culminated with Berlusconi’s meeting.
Some 50 thousand Italian companies from small to medium-sized have spread from Romania, which hosts 30 thousand of them alone, and Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and Kosovo.
And the second answer has come with an organisation capable of monitoring the trade transfers with the great area of the Western Balkans.
These were the two basic issues debated last week at Verona’s trade fair, Veronafiere, where two days of ”Italy & South Eastern Europe Investment” got underway. That was a forum dedicated to relationships between Italy and the Balkan countries, promoted by Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development alongside Customs Agencies, Finest, the Italian Foreign Trade Commission and Verona’s trade fair management.
The meeting was opened by Minister Claudio Scajola, who noted how Italy can look optimistically in the direction of the Balkan area.
”We are divided by the straits of the Adriatic, but we are close to them culturally and exercise a great ‘appeal’ over these countries, who look to us with admiration.”
The minister was flanked by Berisha, espcially on the Balkan Plan, launched in September 2008 considered as of ”crucial importance for Italy’s internationalisation policy. The Balkan’s were our first taste of growth of Italy abroad and the results are there to be seen”.
Berisha said that Albania affords great opportunities for the investors in all fields. “Albanian economy is new and dynamic. It has been the economy that withstood better in the whole of Europe the financial and economic tsunami of the world. Last year my country recorded a more than 4% economic growth. No modification made, but it happened above all because of the great fiscal freedom, among the greatest worldwide. Albania is the country with the lowest fiscal norms in Europe. Secondly, my government must invest heavily in infrastructure. During the recent two years we invested 10% of the GDP in Albanian superhighways. Also I believe in low taxes and small administration. The public administration of the country is downsized and is half the administration of the friendly country, [FYROM]. I think that these three factors have played an important role and Albanian economy withstood the world crisis,” said Berisha.
Berisha also emphasized that during the recent years Albania has started a great revolution against corruption and has made great efforts to reduce and put an end to the bureaucratic obstacles hanging over business.
“Every Italian investor can register his business in Albania in 30 minutes time through one stop shop. Every Verona investor can get licenses and permits through one stop shop. Owing to these steps there is drastically reduced the time for getting of licenses and permits. On the other hand, the government has reduced 2/3 of licenses and permits and it has moved toward self-declaration,” said the prime minister.
Berisha also spoke of Albania’s capacities to get transformed into an energy superpower in the region. “Albanians cannot stay away from every energy resource; the nuclear energy included which is confirmed to be the purest and the most reliable. We have negotiated with the neighboring countries, Croatia and Montenegro and others and are considering a joint action. The Italian firms are welcome to consider this opportunity,” said the prime minister.
Berisha’s visit was also used to sign an agreement on strategic partnership with Italy.
“I think we shall be able to guarantee visa liberalization to Albania as soon as possible and I think that within October of the current year we would like to extend Albania the EU candidate country status. Albania journey is made together with the other countries,” said Berlusconi.
Berisha said that, “European integration is the major project of my country. Italy is the greatest supporter of this Albanian dream toward Europe. My government works seriously implementing every reform and pursuing every necessary practice for the European integration. Italy is extending great help for us.”
He also mentioned the Italian help on the country’s visa-free regime, which Tirana hopes to get this summer. Berisha said that, “My friend Berlusconi promised me that Mr. Frattini and all government would make their best to approach this moment.”
“We shall work jointly for implementing this agreement of Strategic Partnership which was born by a long and fruitful coordination of the friendship between the two countries,” said Berisha.