Tirana, Skopje say controversial Radika project will not go ahead unless all agree

TIRANA, Jan. 26 – Officials in Albania and Macedonia have assured concerned citizens that the building of a hydropower plant in Radika, Macedonia is not going to happen unless it is approved by both countries and a proper assessment is done.
The message came from Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in response to recent protests by concerned Albanians who live on both sides of the border in the Dibra region.
Last weekend two Macedonian ministers, who are ethnic Albanian, visited Tirana and met with all top officials and counterparts, including Rama to discuss on the issue.
They came out in a news conference to assure everyone no such a project could start if not approved beforehand.
The building of a hydropower plant at the Radika River would change the direction of its waters from the Drini i Zi River, thus negatively affecting Albania that bases all energy production at the hydropower plants over the Drini River.
Civic organizations in Albania and Macedonia have raised their voice recently saying that Skopje was preparing to start the work.
But that was denied by Gruevski.
At the same time the World Bank, which has been asked to offer funding, said that would not happen unless approved from Tirana too.
Several concerned civic organizations had said it appeared Macedonian authorities were making the last preparations before going ahead with construction.