Prime Minister Rama visited today in Durrës the “Next Generation Perfumes” factory, where “Made in Albania” perfumes stand as proof of how Albanian quality is penetrating European markets, bringing a success story that demonstrates the power of foreign investments in the country.

In a meeting with the staff and entrepreneurs, the Prime Minister stated that the Albanian government will continue to support businesses that invest and create development as a secure path towards a stronger economy.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama: I stand up because I cannot remain seated in front of all these women, and as the ambassador in Albania also said, “thank God for women.” He didn’t say it exactly like that, but he said, “how come women are such a powerful force in Albania?” I say, thank God they are, because just imagine if this whole task was left in the hands of men, what would happen?

I am extremely pleased to have seen this reality up close, a model reality. I am also very pleased with the workers and, at the same time, with the specialists, chemical engineers—your expertise is truly the backbone, because the entrepreneur spoke in superlatives, saying, “I never imagined that I would find such human resources of this quality in Albania.” I am very pleased that this reality is not just a pretty picture, and not just a reality where high-quality products are made, but it is a reality where those who produce them are paid fairly—with a minimum salary of 700 euros, an average salary of 900 euros. Therefore, the company has no trouble finding workers; on the contrary, as the entrepreneur explained to us, there are a lot of people waiting to work here. What’s even better is that here, rest days are actually respected. So, the mothers and women here have the opportunity to stay with their children, to spend time with family, and go out on Saturdays and Sundays, instead of coming here on weekends and forgetting that there is life outside these walls. For this reason, we have decided to impose this system, which, not without reason, to be honest, has had major deficiencies due to the conditions it has developed under so far, and we will enforce it in companies that don’t respect employees’ rights to rest days.

On the other hand, I am very pleased that the ambassador mentioned that this company is here and still developing. I am extremely pleased for the opportunity that was given to us to speak with you for a few minutes.

I won’t take up much more of your time, but even the aesthetics, the lighting, the energy of the environment are very positive, so you are truly in the right place to work and support your families with your work. Meanwhile, we will strongly support the company every step of the way, as it has a plan to grow, hire more employees, and expand the workspace, and it is really worth it. As Ani said, in these years we’ve witnessed a transformation of this entire area, as the demand has greatly increased, thanks to the necessary interventions that have been made, without which it would have been impossible, starting with the toxic waste field that was a nightmare and no longer exists. On the contrary, it has been replaced by a green area, with infrastructure, and we are continuing with other projects to further develop this whole zone, keeping in mind that the university is not far from here. We will make a big investment in the campus to give students the opportunity to have their own residences to stay in. We will also build the new port, which will further simplify trade, as well as many other good things that are in progress. Thank you so much!

I’m grateful for the experience you gave us, and once again, thank you, ambassador. It was very kind and valuable of you to bring us here, and I also thank the Dutch for their support.

Thank you all so much!