Turkish businesses interested in increasing investments

TIRANA, Feb. 28 – Turkish businesses are showing increasing interest to increase their investments in Albania in strategic sectors such as energy and tourism, Turkish Ambassador to Tirana Hasan S. Asan said during a recent meeting with Albanian Economy Minister Nasip Naco.
The Ambassador said Turkey’s rising interest to increase their already significant investments in Albania was a sign of confidence in Albania’s economic performance.
With already more than 1 billion euros, Minister Naco described Turkish investments in strategic sectors such as energy, telecommunications and education as very important to the Albanian economy and the thousands of people these businesses employ.
An important topic of discussion was also cooperation on natural gas, considering Albania’s favourable geographical position to also serve as a transit point to European markets.
The Economy Ministry says Albania and Turkey will soon hold the next meeting of the Inter-governmental joint commission on economic, trade and industrial cooperation.
Latest data by the Institute of Statistics show Turkey is one of Albania’s main trade partners, ranking the third biggest for Albania’s exports after Italy and Kosovo with an estimated 9.65 billion lek in 2010 and also the third most important country for imports which were at 27 billion lek.
Albanian exports to Turkey in 2010 grew by a record 17 times to 9.65 billion lek, up from only 570 million lek in 2009.
“The firm friendship and centuries-old coexistence provides a perfect basis for deeper cooperation. Based on this firm foundation, it is with pleasure that we witness the developing and diversifying relations between Turkey and Albania. The number of Turkish citizens residing in Albania, the interest of Turkish businessmen and the cultural exchanges between the two nations are on the constant rise,” says Ambassador Asan in his message.
Turkey’s Calik Group, which is present in Albania with fixed-line operator Albtelecom, Eagle Mobile and Banka Kombetare Tregtare (BKT Bank), is the most successful Turkish company in Albania.
Other investments include the steel plant in Elbasan which is also run by Turkey’s Kurum and the Turgut ׺al Education Company, which has also established and operated the much-acclaimed system of Turkish primary and high schools in Albania since 1992 and most recently the Epoka University.