U.S. chamber of commerce seeks closer ties with new president

TIRANA, Dec. 15 – The American Chamber of Commerce met last week with President Bamir Topi in an effort to establish closer ties with the country’s top official.
The Chamber’s board members discussed with Topi the country’s ongoing economic and political developments affecting their daily work.
The Chamber reviewed with the president what they were doing to protect business interests and, also, to increase investment in Albania. However, they also presented problems they are dealing with including that most of the draft laws concerning business were passed by the parliament without any consultation with the business community.
The Chamber also said that a stable political climate had a direct, positive impact on Albania’s business development.
Topi told the group that a regional approach would help Albanian business, referring to Kosova’s independence. The Chamber members said they were also in favor of Kosova’s independence, as many of the country’s businesses have joint interests in Albania, Kosova, Montenegro and Macedonia.
The Chamber said that higher energy prices had a direct negative impact on the cost of operating businesses and resulted in increased prices for products.