Remarks by Prime Minister Edi Rama at press conference: 

 

Good afternoon! I already told you a press conference was to be held on other issues two days ago, we are here today so that you can ask all the questions you wish for.

Meanwhile, I would like to provide a preliminary general summary on the ongoing summer tourist season, although a specific press conference will definitely take place together with the Minister of Tourism and Environment. However, I think it would be appropriate to highlight the fact that Albania is experiencing the season of a milestone turning point, which is the outcome of a lot of efforts over the past few years and the pinnacle of a new transformation stage of tourism that started years ago with the National Urban Renaissance Programme, specifically focusing on the country’s tourist destinations, the cultural heritage sites, specifically focusing on efforts to enhance cultural and artistic events as part of tourism season and, definitely, with the continued support for more investment projects already implemented by the private sector in tourism industry. Today we are seeing the initial significant and meaningful results of a pathway we have determined as the road towards Albania 2030, with Albania definitely being on track to become an absolute regional champion for tourism. By champion in the region, I mean the Western Balkans. Data speak for an incredible success, with Albania almost catching up with Greece in terms of tourist numbers or other countries already well ahead when it comes to the tourist number per capita.

In the meantime, I think it is worth noting one element at least, namely the Tirana International Airport, which has undergone a very significant transformation after a new concessionaire took over the airport and after the investments implemented by the Albanian company and I do actually suppose that you have already come across the latest EUROCONTROL assessment on air traffic and performance, with Albania ranking top after recording the highest increase in the air passenger numbers and we can openly state today that Tirana International Airport can compete with the Belgrade’s airport that has historically been the region’s biggest and busiest airport and with a much longer tradition than our national airport. However, we will most likely outclass Belgrade airport in terms of passenger number this year. And, on the other hand, I think it is also important to recall the fact that work on construction of the new Vlora international airport is running on schedule. You also know that Vlora airport will be operated by Munich airport and we are really optimistic and truly confident that once Vlora airport becomes operational we will certainly see a significant “boom” in the number of international tourists, even though Tirana Airport now operates 24/7 and operates almost 200 flights, yet there is room for a lot more.

In the meantime, I would also like to draw attention to the very positive performance of the Civil Protection Agency in dealing with the forest fires, successful management and maximum reduction of the potential damages from wildfires, just like I would like to draw attention to the excellent performance of the State Police on identifying, arresting and sending the suspected arsonists to face justice. Success has been achieved in this respect and it is a very hopeful success in the efforts to crack down and reduce such a dangerous phenomenon now amid the climate changes. You are witnessing what is happening with the wildfires in Greece. The country’s courts should live up to their legal task and render the deserved verdicts in sentencing these blind barbarians, who threaten a national wealth that has been accumulated over the generations and belongs to the future generations.

The archive of the relations between the justice system and the arsonists is a very heinous, shameful and disgusting one, because there is a number of grievous cases when certain district courts have refused to launch legal procedures and the arsonists have kept going with their barbaric business undisturbed by the power of law, even though the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania that we have amended actually stipulates a 15-year imprisonment sentence for the arsonists.

Second, this period that has somehow divided two intense political seasons, saw also the fantastic news about the oil discovery in Shpirag and we already talked about it and I won’t focus on that now. We are reasonably optimistic about the results of the October-November test. On the other hand, we have been working on the government reorganization and on defining the priorities for the next 300 active days due to start soon, with the main focus being placed on accelerated efforts and stronger both political and financial support for the innovation and the digital revolution.

We have also reorganized the ministry structures to which the innovation nuclei will be attached. We have launched a series of important projects using artificial intelligence solutions. I am confident that in early autumn we will inform citizens about the initial results about introduction of the live virtual communication via the e- Albania platform, when citizens will no longer have to wait for a reply on how to file application and the ways an application is made, because the virtual Chat GDP-based operator will provide real-time answers for every applicant.

Meanwhile, work is also underway to expand the model of the whole set of public services, not just in terms of the application stage so that within a year at most, the entire scope e-Albania public services be based on artificial intelligence and the operator will communicate with the citizens visually as a virtual operator not as a real human one. But the first step is what I already said; namely making available the direct communication system via the virtual operator to assist citizens and applicants in the application phase via the e-Albania platform.

Likewise, I think we have completed the public consultation process and the public procurement system will undergo a radical transformation to usher in a new stage in collaboration with UNOPS, a United Nations body specializing in public procurement. In the meantime, for the public procurement too we have embarked on the work to make use of the incredible potential of artificial intelligence. However, this would take one more year to complete. The public procurement system will undergo a significant change thanks to the cooperation with UNOPS, starting with the alteration of the concentrated purchase system and with all the links along the entire public procurement system.

This period has been an era of change for the State Cadastre system, with its service windows already shut down, with no longer people walking in and walking out present at the very doors of the agency and with no longer individuals seeking to take advantage of the citizens’ needs. And given that this was one of the questions you asked two days ago, I have a more exhausting answer if you are to ask me again.

Also, during this period we have had, more precisely, continued to receive very important and very significant messages from the new justice system, which I have also praised through the social media networks. In the meantime, on the other hand, you know pretty well that we have been through a tense, an inflamed situation, so to say, due to the problem the Himare mayor-elect faces with justice. Our position has been and will remain the same that the new justice system in Albania should be allowed to do its job undisturbed. And at this point, nothing could be more important than the protection in the same way as we have done with all other cases of the tranquillity of the activity of the new justice system. So, any kind of interference from anywhere in the justice system will not find support, but it will not find our understanding either.

We do not interfere in matters of the justice system,

We do not comment on the verdicts of the new justice bodies.

We expect the new justice bodies to respect the law and we have nothing else to give them except our unconditional support, whether we like or don’t don’t like their verdicts. This is non-negotiable for the ruling party in Albania today.

And last, although this has not to do with the government work, we will convene the National Assembly of the Socialist Party soon to take some decisions on the further progress of the government.

This is what I had to say in my general overview. Now you can ask your questions.