A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today for the revitalization of the Kala neighborhood in Elbasan, a project that represents a commitment to preserving cultural heritage while fostering the city’s economic development.
Prime Minister Edi Rama attended the ceremony in Elbasan, joined by the Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation Blendi Gonxhja, the Minister of State for Local Government Arbjan Mazniku, the Mayor of Elbasan Gledian Llatja, and representatives from the Albanian Development Fund.

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Hello everyone!
As I came here today to the Kala of Elbasan, I was reminded of a dear friend of mine from Elbasan, Qazim Sejdini, and the conversations we had some time ago about how the Kala could be part of Elbasan’s transformation, becoming a true engine for development. Later, we revisited this topic together with Evisi. Evisi, born in Kala and representing this historic core of Elbasan, which within the walls of the castle feels like the very heart of the city’s history, has always insisted that we focus and move quickly on transforming the neighborhood.

Now we are at a point where we can consider all the vision and preparatory work for the transformation of the neighborhood to be guaranteed through this partnership between the government, the municipality, and the Albanian Development Fund. The Fund has long experience in transforming these realities and is a strategic partner of the government with which we have carried out projects that speak for themselves. These range from the so-called “beat” areas, which, as you can see here, are part of the projects that include the Kala of Elbasan, to other areas of development that involve supporting the education of young people through technology, such as the Tumo model, which is a beautiful success story thanks to the Fund’s contribution. This initiative will also extend to Elbasan, where at the former maternity hospital we will create a knowledge center for digital technology for children, in partnership with the municipality, the Fund, and most likely also our Development Fund.

Additionally, the Albanian Development Fund has made a significant contribution to Butrint, which, in my view, is the most precious jewel in the area. Thanks to the Fund’s expertise and its management culture, we are seeing consistent results, such as those at the Pyramid in Tirana. We can look with great optimism to the future of the National Park and see how new values are already being added. The project for the visitor center in the National Park, in terms of the information center for visitors, designed by the famous architect Kengo Kuma, has been internationally recognized—not by us—as one of the 25 most influential projects of 2024 by organizations that make such global evaluations.

We are working in Durrës, in the archaeological area around the Amphitheater, which is a project very similar in nature to the work we will be doing here in Elbasan.

Elbasan has a challenge that needs to be addressed and overcome. Meanwhile, Berat, which began the process of revitalization and transformation for tourism, has successfully turned tourism into a powerful engine for the local economy. The Fund has been a key partner in this project, helping increase the number of visitors to 800,000. Berat now attracts 800,000 tourists annually. In contrast, Elbasan currently hosts between 20,000 and 25,000 visitors. While the number of tourists at Berat’s castle has long exceeded 100,000, the castle of Elbasan receives only around 4,000 visitors.

These figures can—and will—be reversed very soon with the castle project. Elbasan’s castle holds significant historical value and many features with exceptional potential. As the vice mayor mentioned, there is the presence of various religious symbols within the castle, but there are also many other elements to explore. If we succeed, and we certainly will, it will be done at the right time and in the right way.

So, I believe that by leveraging all these hidden components within the castle, we will be able to significantly increase the number of visitors to the neighborhood. This, in turn, will cause property values, including the value of the houses, to rise exponentially. On the other hand, this will align with the ongoing developments for the automotive park, as well as everything we are doing. I am also very pleased that Arbi, who has direct responsibility in this area and now, as a representative of the governing political majority, has become a trusted partner for the municipality in moving to a new phase of development. This includes fully tapping into the great potential of the former Metallurgical Combine to essentially establish a new hub in Elbasan, creating a new metropolitan area for Tirana.

In fact, Durrës, Dibra, and Elbasan are three natural branches or extensions of the Tirana metropolis. With this development and these components, I believe that sooner rather than later, all those living in Elbasan will not only be closer geographically but will also, in terms of economic and social integration, be part of the capital’s metropolitan area.

And in conclusion, I would like to add something regarding what the Minister of Economy mentioned. When it comes to the automotive park, just like with the Castle project, we are not talking about an investment for just the three days of the Formula 1 event, which, of course, marks a huge leap for Albania to another level, as we are currently witnessing. In a few days, we will be in Rome for the official presentation of Albania’s participation in the Italian Grand Prix, where Albania will be the country from which the big start will take place. This will bring the eyes of 200 countries and 200 television stations to Albania over the course of three days, across three different regions—Durrës, Tirana, and Vlorë. During the live broadcast by 200 global TV channels, Albania will be showcased as a prime tourist destination, a country to visit. Meanwhile, with Formula 1, we will reach 1 billion viewers who will be watching Elbasan during the three days of the race trials.

At the same time, the automotive park will operate 365 days a year. It will serve as a hub for a variety of services, including road safety education, national road safety training, a venue for motorcycle races of various levels, and a point for everyday tourism, offering numerous attractions such as museums, recreational areas, and much more.

So, the future is here, it is ahead of us, and if today we look toward the horizon of joining the European family within this decade—meaning within our fourth mandate, we aim to be ready to officially enter the European family—this transformation of Elbasan coincides with that. Elbasan is moving to the next level, a level where the tourism flow, which today is concentrated in Tirana—a city no one imagined would become a tourist destination just a few years ago, a city that was practically empty in the summer but is now bustling with year-round tourism—will also include Elbasan in this transformation story.

I would like to express my special thanks to Arbi for his dedication, and to Gledi, who is the “key facilitator in building strategic partnerships’’. I also want to thank the two representatives from the Albanian Development Fund (ADF).

And finally, I would like to thank all of you— the vice mayor for the very warm presentation, and Bora, who is here with us and plays a key role in ensuring youth and children are part of these processes. That’s why I briefly mentioned the new Tumos space in Elbasan. Thank you all very much!