Relations between Italy and Albania and prospects for an economic partnership and “productive integration” were the focus of an interview our Ambassador in Tirana Massimo Gaiani granted to the on-line daily Shqiptarja.com. The ambassador underscored how Albania had made impressive progress over the past 20 years, pointing out that Italy had always supported that process; that major relations had been forged and solid and lasting bonds created with our Albanian counterparts in nearly every sector: security, anti-organised crime, armed forces, economic development, public administration training, and university, cultural and scientific cooperation. He added that Albania offered excellent opportunities for Italian firms interested in partnerships with local enterprises. “A collaboration that offers reciprocal support and the chance to become competitive by strengthening, not by destroying, respective facilities capable of productivity and creating jobs”.
Investment advantages
It is no accident that bilateral trade now amounts to nearly €2 billion annually, a “significant” figure in light of the fact that Albania has a population of little more than 3 million. The Ambassador added that the European integration process would “improve” the business climate and “strengthen the predictability of the existing legal system” – indispensable to guaranteeing investments. That country, he underscored, “promises undoubted advantages, not only at the level of high quality labour at a low cost, but also as a result of a widespread command of the Italian language, a 10% flat tax rate, low transport costs and geographic proximity, which allows for more flexible planning and rapid market adjustment times”.
