Organized by the the Mediterranean University of Albania, conference brought together some of the region’s top economic experts.
TIRANA, Dec. 20 – Albania’s and the region’s top economic experts joined one of the most influential global economists at a conference in Tirana last weekend.
The conference, Albania and the Crisis: What’s next? Revisiting the Growth Model, was organized by the Mediterranean University of Albania, and featured Dr. Justin Yifu Lin, the former deputy president of the World Bank and a professor at Beijing University, as keynote speaker.
Dr. Anastas Angjeli, rector of the Mediterranean University of Albania, said in his remarks that there is a need for a review of the economic growth model and to identify priority sectors of the economy based on the thesis of a new prescription growth.
“In Albania, the debt’s increase has not been accompanied by economic growth, which places the entire economic stability in danger,” said Dr. Angjeli.
Dr. Lin explained his New Economy Structural theory and the need for a new recipe to increase of economic growth — a theory applicable mainly to developing countries.
Dr. Lin advice for countries like Albania: “enter into sectors which are consistent with their own comparative advantages.”
Dr. Volker Treichel, director for Africa at the World Bank and the former IMF resident representative in Albania shared his international experience and academic opinions about the topic of the conference.
Speaking at the conference, Albanian Economy Minister Haxhinasto called for bipartisan cooperation on charting Albania’s economic future
“The development strategy lasts longer than a mandate, so bipartisan consensus is needed to help development,” he said.
The two-day conference opened Dec. 15 at the Sheraton Hotel and continued the next day at the campus of the Mediterranean University.
During the second day of the conference, four thematic sessions took place. The work of more than 100 researchers was presented. They came from both local and international universities.
Papers presented during the second day of the conference and the conclusions of the four thematic sessions will be published in an upcomming special scientific journal
