Prime Minister Rama Meets Oil Suppliers and Says the Middle East Crisis Cannot Be Fully Passed on to Consumers

Today, Prime Minister Edi Rama held an extended meeting at the “House of Business” with oil suppliers. The meeting aimed to address the impact of the current global crisis and provide consumers with the greatest possible protection from rising prices.
The meeting was also attended by the Ministers of Economy and Innovation, Energy and Infrastructure, and Finance: Delina Ibrahimaj, Enea Karakaçi, and Petrit Malaj, respectively. Prime Minister Rama emphasized that the difficult situation caused by the United States’ and Israel’s war against the Iranian regime has led to rising oil prices on international exchanges, which could affect the Albanian market.
The prime minister praised the responsible approach of domestic market operators, noting that, although exchange prices have increased by up to 40 %, the rise in Albania has been more moderate as a result of the government’s constructive cooperation with suppliers.
“From the very beginning, we took the necessary steps to immediately rebuild the communication bridge with you in the context of a new crisis with potential consequences for the Albanian market. Considering previous experiences, especially during periods when international crises required us to manage this commodity, we recall the crisis caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine, for example. I would like to express positive appreciation for your responsible approach at this stage. While prices on international exchanges have risen by up to 40 percent, creating significant pressure on supply chains in Albania, the price increase here has been much more moderate than the increases observed in several other countries,” said Prime Minister Rama.
The prime minister also emphasized the importance of current fuel reserves and noted that a draft law on the state reserve is under public consultation. The legislation aims to guarantee the physical availability of fuel supplies for up to 100 days.
The prime minister announced that the government is developing an initiative to establish a state-owned distributor in the oil market. This distributor would serve as a guarantor and wholesale supplier. The initiative aims to ensure the necessary fuel quantities and facilitate commercial relations for domestic operators by establishing direct connections with supply companies.
“We are working to finalize an initiative that will introduce a state-owned distributor, guarantor, and wholesale distributor into the market. We believe this will simplify operations for everyone, as it will guarantee the necessary quantities with state support and facilitate relations with third parties,” the Prime Minister said. The goal is to establish direct relationships with supplying companies,” the Prime Minister said.
The prime minister also called on suppliers to maintain the current market balance and avoid passing the full impact of the crisis onto consumers. He stressed that dialogue and cooperation are the most effective ways to manage the situation.