Laç, one of the worst-hit areas by the devastating earthquake two years ago, unfolds a whole fresh look today.

As many as 500 quake-affected families will celebrate the New Year’s Eve in their new houses that are built back safer, more resilient and more beautiful than the ones they lost in the devastating earthquake two years ago. The newly-constructed buildings are part of a beautiful European residential complex in line with optimum standards to meet the needs of every resident, regardless their age, and feature green and ample recreational spaces.

In the meantime, just a few meters away, work is underway on construction of a new government-financed housing complex with more than 200 apartment homes with surface and underground infrastructure. A total of 11 schools and kindergartens have also been built through the state budget funds and donations provided by the European Union.

Prime Minister Edi Rama today joined local residents in the town of Laç to celebrate completion of the major project on construction of the new residential neighbourhood, saying that the earthquake wounds are healing gradually.

Hope has been restored and the disaster is being challenged thanks to the ongoing post-earthquake reconstruction programme designed to transform the worst-hit areas across the country.

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Good evening everyone!

I have been waiting for this moment for two years, because this was one of the worst-hit and hottest spots of the huge wound that the earthquake inflicted upon us, and one of the biggest projects we had to deliver on, a project that is expressed in an exemplary way through the presence of this wonderful complex. But it is about much more than that.

In this area, we have reconstructed and work is underway to build more new schools and kindergartens. A total of 11 educational facilities, designed to meet optimum standards for habitability and education standards, are being built through the state budget funding and under the EU-funded for schools programme. Another new residential complex with 200 apartment houses is being built on the other side of this complex in a totally government-funded project. Construction of the new regional hospital is also underway and I hope the new facility will be ready to deliver health services to local residents by spring, despite all the difficulties the project has encountered in the process.

Major underground infrastructure interventions have been carried out here to put an end to a long-standing story of continued floods in the area, when this town was flooded anytime it rained. As Mayor Majlinda noted, the city was not flooded this time despite the recent heavy rains thanks to the newly-built underground infrastructure specifically developed to address this problem.

In the meantime, a number of new single-family homes have been either constructed or are being constructed, while compensation grants will be provided to several families to build their own houses in somewhat more remote areas, after the tender procedures turned out to be unsuccessful due to the high costs construction companies had to cope with. This is the reason why we have decided to provide compensation grants to the affected families so that they can construct their homes themselves.

This is of course an ongoing process, but I have been eagerly waiting for this moment, because scepticism used to dominate among local residents here due to the speculations suggesting that their houses were to be demolished and they would receive nothing in exchange, and the later speculations suggesting that the affected families would be forced to purchase their homes, because they would be put up for sale to people who can afford buying them. The process was marred by all kinds of speculations, yet here we are today at this new residential complex that is envied by everyone in Tirana, but they are all for you and unlike the apartment homes in Tirana, where such houses are really expensive, you are entitled to legitimate ownership of them totally for free. You are granted the property ownership certificates that make each and every one of you the legitimate owners of these houses.

This new residential complex is the most significant example demonstrating that the reconstruction programme is not being done for the Socialists only.

The reconstruction process has been done for every quake-affected family, be them either Socialists or DP supporters.

Despite all these speculations, the truth is that reconstruction is a programme dedicated to Albanians, every Albanian family that at a very critical moment of their lives, as well as at a critical moment for the country, we were determined not to leave them alone, but stand by them and, as I have already stated since day one, I would move heaven and earth to secure the funding and make sure that you move into and enjoy more beautiful houses than the ones you lost in the earthquake.

Here they are now!

The Albanian government has funded the majority of reconstruction projects not only here, but in all 11 quake-affected families across the country. In this case, this is actually an investment directly funded by the Turkish government under the auspices of the President Erdogan, the friend of mine about whom many issue indecent remarks via Facebook, but who immediately made available all the power of friendship and solidarity as if he was born and raised here and as if you were his own people.

The Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates has provided funding for construction of another modern residential complex in Spitalle, Durres.

Both represent the power of friendship and solidarity we have enjoyed in terms of constructing new houses and apartments.

The same did the Albanian foundations and enterprises through donations. They have played an important role too, but the reconstruction programme has been massively financed through whole power of spirit and solidarity from the Albanian government and, on the other hand, this is not a matter of money, but a matter of heart.

This is a matter of conviction and an ordeal for us to put to the test the strength of our character and demonstrate to ourselves that we are undefeatable and, on the contrary, we know how to emerge stronger and win over disaster when challenged by it.

Since day one I have told you that we will emerge stronger from this challenge.

What does emerging stronger mean?

It means that every affected family, at least 95% of them, wouldn’t afford purchasing a new house, but they are now owners of brand new homes, much better ones than they lost in the earthquake, for free.

It is the first post-earthquake reconstruction ever launched in the countries hit by devastating earthquakes, with the affected families having to repay not a single cent in loans and no other liabilities, because this was the decision we made and this was our challenge.

To all of those who claim that we delivered on the reconstruction programme by receiving loans and increasing public debt, those who fortunately were not affected and didn’t see their homes fall apart in just five seconds,  I would like to say: Yes, of course. This is what a government should do to support its own people; this is what a state believing in solidarity should do and a state that is there to serve people, without looking them at their eyes to figure out whether the look on their left or on their right, but by telling them: “you are not alone and a day will come when you will all be happy.” And that day has actually come.

It came on the eve of the New Year holidays. That day came two years after waiting for their new houses to be built. But they were not abandoned. None of you were forced to wait while living in tents, because each of you were provided the rental bonus so that you could rent a house, an apartment, living after all under a roof, although not yours, and see for yourselves these new properties that are all yours and totally for free.

In case you want to sell or rent them out, this is up to you and your right to do so, but still, today, the value of these new properties is much higher than the ones you lost and they are all yours.

Anytime I visited this site previously, you used to see me from a distance, thinking I am doing so for show and propaganda purposes and that I am doing so in order to gain some extra votes ahead of the general elections. But that was not the case.

Once the elections were over, you started thinking “why didn’t we vote for him?”

However, it doesn’t matter whether you vote or not as for me you are all Albanians, you are all our brothers and sisters. What matters most is the fact that, like it or not, you will be remembering me anytime you will enter your homes.

This is not a big deal.

I would like to add one more thing, namely the fact that our effort doesn’t end here. Our projects on reconstruction and development of Lac don’t end here, because, as I have already earlier stated, and what today is much more possible than ever before is that Laç has a great opportunity and potential to build a tourism-based  local economy.

One may wonder “what sort of tourism can develop in Lac?”

This area is actually home to one of the most amazing and most important religious tourism attractions, not only in Albania, but in the entire Balkan region, as well as one of the most important destinations, given the size of the local community, in Europe.