TIRANA, July 19 – Germany has made available Euro 41.5 million to support development projects in Albania in the next couple of years, new German ambassador Susanne Schà¼tz has confirmed.
The projects, that will be implemented by the German Development Bank, KfW, and the German Agency for International Cooperation, GIZ, will focus on three priority areas including sustainable economic development, energy, and water, sewerage and waste management.
“Through support to these sectors agreed with the Albanian government, we want to provide contribution to the country’s economic development,” said Schà¼tz who has just taken over as the new German ambassador to Albania, replacing Hellmut Hoffmann.
“This would also especially give the younger generation a perspective to live in their own country and prevent above all the departure of qualified Albanians,” added the ambassador.
The ambassador’s comments come after more than 65,000 Albanians applied for asylum in EU countries last year accounting for 5 percent of asylum claims filed last year.
Germany was the most attractive destination for Albanian asylum seekers with 53,805 asylum claims registered, or 12 percent of all asylum seekers in Germany, the second highest number after Syria.
Last year, Germany witnessed a surge in asylum claims from Albanian nationals after rumors spread that the country needed workers. However, chances asylum will be granted for Albanian citizens are exceptionally low as the country has been designated as a safe country of origin by German authorities.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who also visited Albania last year, has reconfirmed the Western Balkans EU integration path remains open despite the recent Brexit vote and that the UK’s decision to leave the block won’t stop EU expansion.
Since the late 1980s just before the collapse of Albania’s communist regime Germany has invested about Euro 810 million in development projects, becoming the country’s main donor.
