The project on a new world-class cargo port in Porto Romano, one of the most strategic projects for Albania and the whole region brought  together representatives of a large number of companies and international financial institutions interested in building it.

The explanatory introduction of the detailed design of the new world-class facility is taking place following a voluminous work through the consultancy of Royal Haskoning DHV, an engineering consultancy firm, after having already completed all the important phases of the preliminary and feasibility studies, economic analysis of the project, engineering design, environmental studies, as well as social and archaeological assessments, starting from the location of the project in the Durrës area.

Prime Minister Edi Rama attended and addressed the consultative meeting on the project that has stirred huge interest:

“Welcome everyone! I don’t want to take up too much of your time as you examine this strategic and extremely important project not only for our country, but also the entire Southeast Europe region.

Sincerely thanking each and every one of you for coming here to attend this comparative introduction of the technical and financial nature, which, in my view, clearly shows not only interest, but also trust and I would like to assure you all that we are pretty aware either about the biases we have to face when it comes to opening up our economy and opening the doors and windows so that all those wishing to be involved in our economic developments can enjoy and be granted these opportunities, just as I would also like assure you that through facts you will all be able to see firsthand why I call them biases and not reality-based perceptions about our effort to ensure transparent processes, conduct processes with integrity that the end exactly reward those pillars that have made your companies so renowned ones, which are free competition, on the one hand, and the merit-based competition, on the other.

Of course, for us as a country, this is a process that has taken a long time. We have emerged from a past that has not been kind to us at all and three decades of our journey to try to build a modern, functional and democratic Albania and an open and competitive economy for everyone might sound an awfully long time, but it can also be considered a very short as a result of measuring the level of experience.

It is precisely for this reason that being aware that the much-needed experience is not actually on our side and therefore we have always referred to the international excellence and expertise and, in this case, an unmistakable excellence with an undisputable reputation worldwide, namely the company Royal Haskoning, which is intensively, seriously and correctly working with an admirable technical capacity and knowhow and we are deeply grateful for this.

Of course, we clearly know they don’t work for free.

In the meantime, you also know that Dutch are as skilful as expensive and there’s nobody quite like them for their gift and skills to be wining merchants, but, for the sake of truth and one should acknowledge it, they fully deserve what they charge.

No regrets for paying them not cheaply.

I think this company is one of the reasons, if not the main one, and I hope it is one of the reasons, not the main one, that you confidently have come here and I want to assure you that we are very honored to have you here.

I have here the list of companies which, as the Deputy Prime Minister already noted, operate in an impressively wide area geographically and presence of the representatives of 30 companies in this field, all coming together to see firsthand and ask the necessary questions of technical and financial nature and aspects of a project like ours, simply fill us with optimism and joy.

You should all be convinced that although only one company will win the tender, this will happen as the outcome of a process that will make you return back to Albania more confidently and with more certain than you were when you came here for the first time, because we are fully aware that in order for us to build and make Albania the country our children deserve, we need the right partners with the right experience and expertise, partners that have demonstrated what they are capable of in their own countries and you all are capable.

I am concluding and I am assuring you that although you have attended a lot of presentations, consultation processes, engineers and builders, today you will actually attend a presentation and be through a unique experience.

I was really impressed when I attended the first presentation of the design and I hope they have further improved it and I was really impressed as it sounded as if a Renaissance atelier was introducing its works in Florence.