TIRANA, Dec. 2 – The municipality of Tirana and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have agreed to work together to upgrade the municipal infrastructure and make Albania’s capital more environment-friendly and develop in a sustainable way.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed this week by EBRD First Vice President Phil Bennett and Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj.
The agreement lists strategic areas of cooperation such as urban transport, urban roads infrastructure, water and waste-water services, solid waste management, street lights and overall improvements in energy efficiency.
In addition, the EBRD and the municipality will be working on an action plan designed to address the global climate change challenges.
“We believe that sustainable municipal infrastructure is a pre-requisite for climate-friendly urban development, which is at the heart of our Green Economy approach,” said EBRD’s Bennet.
He added the development bank and the capital’s mayoral staff have identified key areas where EBRD’s expertise can contribute to the efficient and sustainable implementation of municipal projects.
“We strongly support Tirana’s drive to becoming a green capital,” he said.
Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj said the agreement was a very important step for Tirana.
“The implementation of sustainable and environmentally friendly projects will help in creating a reliable and sustainable municipal environment which will stimulate the capital’s economic growth, will improve living conditions for many citizens of Tirana and make a positive contribution to the Green Economy,” Veliaj said.
In particular, the EBRD will be supporting project preparation, institutional development and training, assistance with project implementation and procurement, and energy audits to support the assessment of energy efficiency of street lights and building in the Albanian capital.
Since the start of its operations in Albania, the EBRD has invested almost 1 billion euros in some 70 projects in various sectors of the country’s economy.
