Some vital reforms for the country were implemented in recent years with the support of the World Bank. Prime Minister Edi Rama attended the farewell ceremony for Tahseen Sayed, representative of the World Bank, and said that cooperation with the World Bank during the period that it was represented in Albania by Ms. Tahseen Sayed was very helpful.

“I don’t know if the relations with the World Bank would have been the same without Tahseen. What I know is that it is not us who welcomed her with open arms but it is her who opened our arms and made us believe in the World Bank, made us work together in a way that taught us a lot. When somebody has to speak about the World Bank, the first and last thing they think of is money. That’s why I didn’t deliver the speech that was prepared for me because it was only about money; how much money here, how much money there, how much money will enter. But for me, during these years of work with Tahseen and Ellen it was not above all about money, but it was about knowledge and understanding more how you can tackle many problems and how you can deal with some issues that were passed on from one government to another, like a sort of disease that was carried and passed on to the other. I don’t want to mention here programs and projects, I just want to say that the overall result of this joint work is just great. We have done thing about which you were sceptical in the beginning that we could achieve together, the energy reform above all, the pension reform and many others. I’m not sure that we would have been able to do the same things with positive results, if you hadn’t been here.”

Expressing gratitude for the work of Ms Tahseen Sayed and for the World Bank engagement in important programs in Albania, the Prime Minister said that the continuation of this cooperation will bring other benefits to Albania.

“I hope very much that whoever comes afterwards will be able to continue with what you built, and will be able to give us again, with art and willingness, the knowledge and experience which, when the people of the World Bank are willing to provide, are priceless. Thank you Ellen for this organization, and thank all of you who are here. I hope that the party that was announced will show in the Albanian way all the gratitude and the positive energy we have for you. Good luck, and I am sure that you are going to miss this country. Those who know Albania, like you do, know that Albania is something that cannot be replaced. There are many other countries where maybe you can discover much more things, but no other country has the power to make people addicted, like Albania does. So, you are welcome to be back any time you want.”