Italy-Albania set up parliamentary friendship association

ROME, May 16 -On Tuesday Italian-Albanian ties got stronger thanks to the parliamentary friendship association officially presented at the Italian Senate Library, where Albania was considered as ”Europe’s small China”, a bridge towards the Balkans and a country with huge economic potential for Italian businesses.
The Association gathers about one hundred lawmakers from the two countries aiming to begin many initiatives both on a cultural level as also economic, but especially discovering more about Albania in Italy.
”Albania suffers from a lack of media coverage and this is a great shame”, the Italian ambassador in Tirana, Massimo Gaiani pointed out. ”It is a nation which has grown an average of 6 percent a year, its population is young and well educated. Furthermore, 50 percent of Albanian citizens speak Italian”, Gaiani added. It is a country which offers great opportunity for Italian companies who want to expand.
The recent visit of the Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the forum organized by Confindustria have indeed confirmed this information, with 140 Italian and Albanian firms and over 350 ”business to business” meetings. The most successful companies are in the field of agriculture, tourism and green economy.
Albanian ambassador in Italy Llesh Kola pointed out that ”also in 2011 Italy proved to be Albania’s prime economic partner”. Exports have reached around 1,145 million euros with an 18 percent increase compared to 2010, whereas Italian imports from Albania reached 657 million euros, an increase of 14 percent.
”Rome is our main cultural and institutional partner, it has been our best ”advocate” in occasion of our entry to NATO and is one of our best sponsors in Europe”.
In another move a=to attract more foreign investment in the country Foreign Minister Edmond Haxhinasto made an informal visit to Canada last week eager for Ottawa’s attention.Haxhinasto landed in Ottawa for two days of meetings determined to push forward a series of commercial agreements that will encourage Canadian investors to risk their money on his country’s economic development.