Crisis, Albania is the only Balkan country not to ask IMF’s help

TIRANA, April 16؂alkan countries have applied this month to benefit from the financial assistance fund that IMF has created to help developing countries in the face of the global economic crisis. Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, FYROM, and Turkey have all declared themselves affected by the crisis in different economic sectors. Despite having their own anti-crisis package, the said countries have also applied in various international financial institutions for assistance and donations.
The only country not to do so is Albania. It is not a matter of negligence from the international community but Albania’s (its government) own will not chose so.
The Albanian government has yet to accept any impacts of the global economic crisis in the tiny Balkan country. The favorite Albanian official answer is that “the crisis has stopped in Albania’s front door.” Listening to it so repetitively, one would think the crisis lost its address on its flight to Albania, like the Tom Hanks character in “The Terminal.”
Irony wants it that Albania and IMF “agreed” to end the latter’s mission in the country at the end of 2008 due to Albania’s economic progress from a low income to a middle income country. Perhaps, someone should take the whole Albanian government to a rollercoaster ride and maybe, just maybe they might figure out the concept of ups and downs.
Meanwhile, IMF is handing financial packages left and right in the region, varying from 20 billion to 45 billion EUR.
The only thing left for Albanians now is to figure out which airline does Catherine Zeta-Jones works for, so they can at least enjoy their runaway flight from Albania.