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Tirana, June 2018. Investment Council (IC) held a special meeting chaired by the Minister of Finance and Economy, Mr. Arben Ahmetaj, and with the participation of EBRD Vice President, Mr Alain Pilloux. In this meeting FIAA was represented by the Deputy Chair Mr. Turker Sengonul. The agenda focus was the ‘Legal Framework on Investments in Albania’ aiming to discuss on how to motivate and easily apply the current legal framework on investments, and to facilitate the process of drafting a simplified legal framework which can retain and attract new investments. This subject comes also in the context of the integration processes of the country to the EU and at a regional level, with the Regional Economic Agenda (REA). A REA component is also the Regional Investment Reform Agenda (RIRA), which inter alia aims also an alignment of the legal and regulatory framework in the country with the best international practices.

For more information please visit: https://www.investment.com.al/investment-council-for-a-simplified-legal-framework-on-investments/

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), European Union (EU)  and its partners are stepping up their support for strategic transport links in Albania. The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) has made available up to €35.5 million in grants to complement an EBRD loan of up to €36.9 million.

A signing ceremony in Tirana was attended by Damian Gjiknuri, Minister of Infrastructure and Energy and Erjon Luci, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy on behalf of the Albanian Government, Christian Danielsson, Director General for Enlargement, DG NEAR, European Commission and Matteo Colangeli, EBRD’s head of Tirana office.

The WBIF is a joint initiative of the European Commission, international financial institutions, bilateral donors and beneficiary governments to support strategic investments in energy, environment, social and transport sectors in the region.

For more information please visit: https://www.ebrd.com/news/2018/ebrd-and-partners-support-key-transport-links-in-albania.html

The Energy Charter Secretariat based in Brussels, an intergovernmental organization administering the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT- a multilateral energy agreement comprising more than 50 countries and 40 observers), at the request of the Energy Charter Conference conducted a pilot project in 2017 which established the foundation for a flagship publication on Energy Investment Risk Assessment (EIRA). The EIRA is a distinct publication which aims at assessing specific policy, regulatory and legal risks concerning foreign and domestic investment in the energy sector of different countries. The ultimate goal is to have an annual publication with a global reach which countries can use to improve the investment climate and investors can take informed decisions on establishing an investment in the host country.

May 2018/ Tirana. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania organized a meeting with representatives of foreign businesses in Albania to introduce IPARD II – EU fund for Albanian agri-processing businesses, 2014-2020 along with other available opportunities in the agriculture.

IPARD II consists in the financing of 71 million euro fund to be used for investment in the territory of Albania. Investments may be movable or immovable and the grant scheme will be supporting only investments and costs to be implemented after the signing of the Grant Contract. Investments must comply with Minimal National Standards and EU Standards related respectively to: Environment Protection, Animal Health, Alimentary Safety and Quality etc.  Investments in the first measure will be focused in the sectors of Milk Production, Meat Production, Fruits and Vegetables Production and vineyards. Applicants may be individual farmers, physic or legal persons and agricultural joint companies, start up businesses.

For more information about the Program of IPARD II please visit: http://www.bujqesia.gov.al/programi-ipard-ii-2014-2020/

April, 2018/Tirana. The Bank of Albania and the EBRD launched the EBRD Transition Report 2017-2018, EBRD’s annual update on reform progress and economic developments across 37 countries from Central Europe to Central Asia and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean.

According to the Report, Albania’s economy grew in line with comparators pre-crisis, but lagged behind post-crisis until recently. The report – Supporting growth– focuses on the challenge of keeping progress with reference to the experience of average incomes economies. The report also presents the continuity of the structural reform and a new evaluation of the regional countries progress conducted by EBRD based on their transition to sustainable economies.

On April 26^th 2018, the President of FIAA Mr. Tom Kristian Larsen received in the association premises the Ambassador of Japan in Albania, H.E Mr. Makoto ITO. The purpose of the visit was the presentation of respective Institutions and their role in Albania.  During the meeting it was discussed on the present economy of Albania along with the actual business climate, with particular focus on new foreign investments, cooperation between Albania and Japan and justice reform process. Japan Programs have been a valid supporter to Albania and the newly opened Embassy is expected to have even a bigger role and impact  in the near future.The cooperation between the two countries should further expand. To this regard, H.E Mr. Ito reiterated that FIAA is a strong business organization, supporting investors and a valuable partner for all the foreign representative bodies in Albania.

Foreign Investor Association in Albania announces the outcome of the Assembly Meeting of its Members, during which three new Board members were elected representing the main foreign companies in the country such as STATKRAFT, SHELL and ANTEA Cement. The Assembly voted also for the election of  the FIAA new Chairman, Mr. Tom Kristian Larsen, who is the Chief Executive Officer of STATKRAFT in Albania.

In March 6th, FIAA held the Annual Assembly Meeting of the Members and conducted election process for three new Board Members including the Appointment of the Chairman of FIAA for the next two years to come.

In his opening speech, the outgoing President of FIAA, Mr. Silvio Pedrazzi highlighted some of the main achievements and challenges he had during his Chairmanship of three years within FIAA and emphasized the importance of the Organization as the best Instrument for the Foreign Investors in Albania. Mr. Pedrazzi did also thank the FIAA members for the support and trust given to him, expressing his will to further continue his mission on representing FIAA as Member of the Board of Directors.

The World Bank Group (WBG) is supporting the Berlin Process and the Trieste Declaration of the WB6 and the EU in the establishment of a regional mechanism to coordinate policies with the goal of increasing investment flows as well as firm level investment leads and commitments within the six Western Balkan economies (WB6) (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia (FYROM), Montenegro, Serbia). The six economies have undertaken to identify and eliminate the main obstacles derived from regulations, measures or governmental actions that prevent or hinder the expansion of foreign direct investment within the region.

The Albanian Secretariat of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) organized on February 28th, 2018 a Conference on “Presentation of the EITI 2016 Report and Promotion of Transparency in the Natural Resources Utilization in Albania”. The publication of the EITI 2016 Annual Report which aims at promoting Transparency in the Governance of Natural Resources in Albania, marks the conclusion of the National Secretariat’s annual activity and it is the result of the cooperation between MSG and Interest Groups. FIAA-s Executive Director, present in this Conference delivered a Message on the importance of the Transparency and Accountability of the use of Natural Resources of the Country as an important factor for the attraction of the Foreign Investors.