Reciprocal sanctions remain key barrier for modest Albania-Russia trade, investment ties

TIRANA, Nov. 14 – Albania’s 2015 joining of EU sanctions over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and Russia’s countersanctions are holding back economic and trade relations between the two countries which have been limited to Albania’s imports of grains, slow growth of Russian tourists and purchase of some apartments along Albania’s southern coastline by Russian citizens. Russia’s Ambassador to Albania Alexander Karpushin says trade and cooperation potential between the two countries is huge, especially in energy and tourism but is hampered by NATO-member Albania’s rather unique approach to avoid Russia. “There are no big Russian companies in Albania and the only…