U.S companies invited to invest in Albania

TIRANA, March 28 – American companies have been invited to invest in the Balkans in key sectors with growing potential such as energy, defense, information technology, manufacturing, tourism, transportation, and infrastructure. The appeal came during a US-Balkans business summit held from March 23 to 24 in United States at the University of Baltimore.
Addressing the summit, Albania’s deputy PM and Foreign Minister Edmond Haxhinasto said the biggest opportunity Albania offers to US companies is the energy and tourism sectors. “Albania has completely unexploited energy potentials, especially in hydropower plants, where the presence of American investors would be an added value to turn Albania into an energy superpower in the region,” said Naco, adding that US companies could contribute to creating a common energy market in the region, where apart from electricity, special importance is also given to mining, oil and natural gas.
Tourism was also introduced as an attractive sector to invest in Albania considering Albania’s abundant natural resources.
“I am fully confident that the Trans-Atlantic partnership will be further consolidated with the NATO accession of Western Balkans countries such as Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina,” added Naco.
The recent construction of the Durres-Kukes highway by US-led Bechtel-Enka consortium is considered the biggest infrastructural work in Albania.
The US-Balkans business summit was the first trade and investment summit between the United States and the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia – ever to be held in the United States, with two full days to interact face-to-face with senior public officials and private business leaders interested in doing business in Western Balkans.
The first-ever U.S.-Balkans Business Summit brought together key leaders from several Balkan countries in an effort to sell the region to U.S. investors and forge ties with American companies.