Prime Minister Rama started today a three-day visit to Hong Kong. The Economic Forum was the first focus of this visit. It was attended by some 100 entrepreneurs from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and China, interested in investing in Albania and increasing exchanges with our country. In his address at the Forum, Prime Minister Rama said Albania is a country with great potential and ready to welcome investors from China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

“Today’s event provides an excellent platform to discuss current and future investments in our country, as the government of Albania aims at extending our inward investment agenda by engaging with the business and investment communities of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and China.”

In addition, Prime Minister noted that the government of Albania has committed to reshaping the model of economic growth by turning to real sources of growth starting from oil and minerals, to energy, tourism, agriculture and manufacturing. Albania provides to foreign investors comparative advantages in terms of geographical location, tax system, labor costs, but also the positive climate in the region.

“Investing in Albania is not simply investing in Albania, but investing in a much bigger market with a much bigger potential of expanding, which includes the whole of the Western Balkans. An area that until a few years ago was impossible to be imagined like a common market, but that today is factually a common market. In terms of taxes and labor costs we stand in a very favorable position, but so far labor costs especially have been very low. I want also to share with you the quite encouraging figure of growth, because we have turned to a systematic trend of growth. We had 2.1 last year. We aim to be by the end of the year to 2.7-3%, which is of course not enough for our economy, but it’s quite encouraging when we see it as part of a trend and as part of a projection that is supposed to consolidate in the coming years”.

The Prime Minister concluded saying that Albania is a place where it’s worth coming, it’s worth coming not simply to invest but also for holidays. Tourism is a priority sector of the economy with a high growth potential.

“We have a very important aim, to make Albania attractive also for average Chinese people, in the sense of creating a touristic market for the average Chinese people. And I Am sure that people who are in this industry, and people who have invested abroad would find Albania very appealing in this aspect and it would be a very wise investment for the years to come, because for sure it will create very important opportunities for people from China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to come and be there for holidays.”

Prime Minister Edi Rama will also meet with the governor of Hong Kong, Leung Chun-ying.