Talking Albanian Austrian relations

TIRANA, Oct. 18 – In collaboration with the Austrian Embassy in Tirana and Austrian Society Albania, the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) organized a conference on Albanian-Austrian relations in the spirit of Albania’s 100th year as an independent state. The conference, “Albania 100 years of Independence: Talking Albanian Austrian Relations” took place between October 17th and October 19th at the Rogner Europark Hotel, POLIS University, and the Academy of Science in Tirana. The conference aimed to provide a forum for both Albanian and Austrian perspectives on the relationship between the two countries since Albania became an independent state in 1912. Austria has been an integral part of Albania’s history and development.
In their opening remarks, Mr. Fritz Felsinger, President of Austrian Society Albania and Mr. Albert Rakipi, Executive Director of the Albanian Institute for International Studies, both emphasized the importance of the Albanian-Austrian relationship as Albania continues to seek to align itself with European standards and expectations.
The theme of the October 17th conference was the future prospects of Albanian-Austrian relations. The participants were academics, diplomats, and stakeholders based in Albania and Austria. The structure of the conference included key note speeches, panel, and open discussion. Mr. Rakipi served as moderator of the conference. Talking points included the status quo and road ahead for Albanian-Austrian relations and the current economic situation in Albania.
A wide variety of both Albanian and Austrian speakers were present. Key note speakers on the first day of the conference included: Mr. Erhard Busek, President of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM), former Deputy Prime Minister of Austria, and former Deputy Mayor of Vienna; Mr. Enno Bozdo, Albanian Deputy Minister of Economy; and Mr. Richard Schenz, Vice President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. Panelists included Mr. Edmond Panariti, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania; Mr. Florian Raunig, Austrian Ambassador to Albania; Mr. Avni Ponari, CEO of Sigal UNIQA Group; Mr. Nezir Haldedaj, Albanian Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Dietmar Reiner, Managing Director of Energji Ashta, Mr. Christian Gabriel, CEO EVN of Albania and Devolli Hydropower Albania; and Mr. Christian Canacaris, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank Albania.
Additionally, in attendance at the morning session on the opening day of the conference was President of the Republic of Albania Mr. Bujar Nishani. Mr. Nishani gave special attention to the Nobel Peace Prize recently awarded to the European Union. Similarly, Mr. Busek spoke very fondly of his experience in Albania and discussed a central issue: Albania’s ability to be a leader in the Balkans, in Europe, and in the World. Busek stated that in today’s troubled times, Albania should set an example for the rest of the world as a center of religious tolerance and a regional stabilizer.
Infrastructure was an another important topic covered by several panelists. One of the panelists indicated that the quality of infrastructure in Albania decreased significantly since the fall of the Communist regime twenty-one years ago. On a positive note, however, the two presentations made by Mr. Reiner and Mr. Gabriel demonstrated that hydropower has been a success story in Albania. These presentations also served as a reminder that Austrian involvement in Albania has been beneficial to communities across the country. Flood relief in 2010 in the northern part of the country and community trash clean-up initiatives are just a couple of examples of the positive outcomes that have been generated by Albanian-Austrian relations.
During the open panel discussion following the presentations, one question that was asked repeatedly of the stakeholders was their opinion on where Albania will be in the next five to ten years. Many of the participants asserted that they have no doubt that by that point in time Albania will have obtained membership in the European Union.
One of the Austrian panelists in the session on economics called for more transparency in business practices. This panelist stated that one of the challenges that foreign investors and business owners face is the difficulty of finding accurate information on current Albanian legislation. On the same note, the Deputy Minister of Economy Enno Bozdo said that there are improvements but changes still need to be made.
Throughout coffee and lunch breaks representatives of Austrian businesses in Albania were present to distribute information and reports to participants. The afternoon session of the first day of the conference concluded with an Austrian business showcase. Additional themes covered throughout the three-day conference included: Tirana city development and one hundred years of cooperation between Albania and Austria in urban development; environmental research in the new millennium; the Vienna model of architecture, city regeneration, and public services; and the economic dimension of urban development (including keeping Albania clean). The three-day conference concluded with an academic conference discussing the last one hundred years of Albanian-Austrian relations with a special focus on historical and academic contributions from Albanian and international scholars.
This conference certainly attracted important media attention. In celebration of 100 years of Albania’s independence such conferences offer invaluable looks into the different perspectives of academics, diplomats, and stakeholders working side by side for the betterment of Albania.