Bulgaria, Albania try closer economic ties

TIRANA, Oct. 22 – Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov made a two-day visit to Albania, as the two Balkan countries are looking to deepen their economic relations.
Borisov met with his Albanian counterpart Sali Berisha and Tirana Mayor Lulzim Basha.
Three bilateral cooperation agreements were signed in the fields of science and education, culture, economy and the readmission of illegal immigrants.
Bulgarian and Albanian business representatives also held talks and organized a joint meeting on how to promote their ties.
Borisov was accompanied by Bulgarian Regional Development Minister Lilyana Pavlova, Economy and Energy Minister Delyan Dobrev, Education Minister Sergey Ignatov, Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov, Deputy Interior Minister Veselin Vuchkov and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova.
Bulgaria’s government has always insisted that all Balkan countries must join NATO and the EU, Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, declared in Albania.
Borisov stressed his Cabinet and the country adhere consistently to a balanced diplomacy and to the opinion that all on the Balkans must become EU Member States, including Albania, Kosovo and Serbia. Borisov gave as example Bulgaria being among the first to recognize Kosovo and to ask for alleviating visa regimes for Balkan countries, and the first to support Macedonia for EU accession. He noted that Bulgaria should always be remembered for its contribution to peace on the Balkans and thanked Berisha for appreciating these efforts.
Berisha declared he was a strong supporter of every Albanian citizen being free to decide on their own ethnicity as a golden standard all should follow. His statement came as a reply to a question from a Bulgarian journalist if Albanian citizens who define themselves as Bulgarians would receive the status of official minority in order to obtain more rights.
“In Albania, there are no restrictions in ethnic self-determination. There are no limits for these Albanian citizens who want to position themselves for what they are, or for what they want to be. We are for the ethnic belonging that would lead us faster towards Europe,” Berisha said.
Possibilities for expanding Bulgaria’s presence on the Albanian market include exports of wine, furniture, cigarettes, medications, and oil products. There is an increased Albanian interest in tourism in Bulgaria, including sea, mountain and SPA resorts. The number of Albanians vacationing in Bulgaria in the first half of 2012 is 26 percent higher, compared to the same period of 2011.
Borisov said that Bulgaria would like to buy as much bitumen, or asphalt, as Albania can provide. Borisov has set construction of highways in his country as a major landmark policy.
The other highlight of the talks between Borisov and Berisha in Tirana was an understanding that Bulgaria and Albania will be working together to complete the railway section of the largely imaginary Pan-European Transport Corridor No. 8, which is supposed to become a major international trading route between Europe and East and Central Asia, running from Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast to Albania’s Adriatic coast.
Amidst the signing of a total of three inter-governmental agreement, including a trading and economic relations agreement, Albania’s PM Berisha described the talks with the Bulgarian delegation as very friendly and fruitful.
“We want bitumen; we will get as much as you have to offer,” Bulgaria’s PM told his Albanian counterpart.
“They can be exporting bitumen to Bulgaria. They have the best bitumen, it’s natural. There are so many roads in Bulgaria built with Albanian bitumen that haven’t had a scratch in 30 years. We need it, we will get as much as we can,” Borisov said.
“Albanian bitumen is very high quality”, Prime Minister of Albania Sali Berisha stated.
There is something very positive, the fact that you might not know is the highest assessment, which the research institute in Milan gave for the bitumen sands, which are of very high quality, and it is only in Albania”, Sali Berisha said.
Borisov further noted that Bulgaria was one of the EU member states that support the liberalization of the EU visa regime for the citizens of Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.
“I am personally very satisfied with when Prime Minister Berisha told me that in Kosovo the Christian monuments and monasteries are being protected and preserved, and I truly hope that together with Serbia and Macedonia we will be able to build our large infrastructure projects,” the Bulgarian PM added.
Prime Minister of Albania Sali Berisha invited Bulgarian businessmen to invest in projects to build hydroelectric power plants in Albania. Bulgaria exports electricity to Albania via Kosovo, although the distribution network is quite old and has lots of losses. Berisha said that Albania is working to connect the interconnection transmission of electricity between Albania and Macedonia, on the other hand – Albania – Kosovo and Bulgaria again. Currently Albania builds dozens of hydroelectric power.
Joint transport corridors should connect the countries in the Balkan and Black Sea region. These infrastructure projects will produce a significant effect on the countries in the region. Albania is one of Bulgaria’s profitable partners in trade and investments in the Western Balkans. The trade between the two countries is increasing. In the years before Sofia’s EU accession Bulgaria occupied fourth or fifth place in Albania’s trade. After Sofia’s EU entry Albania’s trade with some neighboring countries increased, but not with Bulgaria, because of customs duties on some goods.
The bigger Bulgarian investments in Albania are in the food industry, banking, mining, construction and infrastructure. The first hydroelectric power plant built with Bulgarian equipment will be set into operation in Albania soon. Sofia and Tirana can have profitable cooperation in the construction of waste water treatment plants, collectors, landfill sites for solid waste, road construction, food industry, electronics and information services, winemaking, perfumery and cosmetics, furniture production and others.
Currently 16 companies with Albanian participation and two trade representations are registered in the Trade Register of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
One thing to be noted for that visit by Borisov _ the Bulgarian government plane was not used by Borisov and the big delegation. They came to Tirana with two military transport planes Spartan of the Bulgarian Air Force. That was likely because the Bulgarian government plane had taken President Rosen Plevneliev to Israel earlier on Monday. But the unusual trip may also aim at saving funds from making the government’s Airbus return from Israel.