Prime Minister Edi Rama’s remarks at inauguration of second segment of new boulevard in Albania’s capital Tirana: 

 

I’m very glad we are back to this construction site to witness the continued great and hard work, not long ago, a seemingly entirely impossible task.

Indeed, today we have made another step further towards completion end of this strategic project to the capital. Just as the previous speakers emphasized, we have already healed another major wound of the capital and at the same time, along the entire Tirana river area, we have also built a park, a recreational segment totally available to children, young people and the elderly, an area that adds to the capital’s green spaces.

Should this boulevard were at the pace that determined progress of the construction works in the four years prior to Erjon’s election at the helm of Tirana Municipality, then it would have taken 60 years to arrive at this point we are in and probably also 30 more years to go where we plan to arrive by the end of next year. This was achieved because we have worked together, because we have coordinated the synergy of all stakeholders with the support and the precious assistance from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and I avail myself of this opportunity to wholeheartedly appreciate the Fund as their funding has been decisive in the implementation of this so strategic project for Tirana.

On the other hand, I am also very glad that not only because a new boulevard is being built, not only because a new ecological axis along the Tirana River is being created, not only because that with the completion of these works a new traffic opportunity will be created for all residents of administrative units 9, 8 and 4 on this side of Tirana, but also because a new central park becomes operational and in fact, the park’s entire volume of green space and attractions will be a volume fully comparable to the existing Tirana Lake park. Actually this is the second – following the Tirana Lake park – the largest park in the history of the capital in terms of size of green areas.

I don’t want to go further, but I would like to highlight another aspect, the socio-economic aspect of this work and the Mayor’s announcement about plans to issue the due permits for construction of a entirely new block envisaged as part of the project and where I wish to see new skyscrapers and high-rise buildings as soon as possible.

An idiotic debate is taking place in Tirana over what are also the most meaningful and significant expression of the development of the capital of the future. I am talking about Tirana’s iconic buildings, which are the high-rise buildings or towers designed as part of the centre’s master plan, also known as the French Plan, and that will be followed, hopefully as soon as possible, by the towers designed to be erected on this side of Tirana.

It is all about necessary developments in all aspects; economic, social, environmental aspects and whatever is said to object these buildings is merely absurd.

I believe, thanks to the already built underground infrastructure, this area will be home to new residential, business and entertainment blocks, but it will also feature blocks of a completely new quality, because our challenge, the challenge started in the early 2000s and which continues every day today in Tirana, is a complex challenge, which is much harder to fix than where to start everything from scratch.

Anytime we set about doing something new in whole territory of Tirana we have to cope with countless inherited problems due to illegal, unplanned and irregular buildings. That’s why the construction cost in Tirana runs high as the property compensation and expropriations make up an extremely important aspect and a significant share of our spending.

However, the past is past, whether we like it or not, we must deal with them at every step of Tirana’s development, but what is important is that every step we take today is a secure step that brings the future of Tirana closer for those who live today in Tirana.

We are well of how much more remains to be done, how much still needs to be done for the Tirana Municipality projects along with the Albanian central government projects on Tirana, including a series of joint projects we hope will be funded whether from good friends and partners of the capital, such as the Abu Dhabi Fund or others, provides us the opportunity to say that not only during this term in office of the Tirana Mayor, we will do far more than it has been done in many years combined, but during the new governing mandate, certainly in collaboration with the Mayor and the municipality of Tirana, we will do much more than what has been done over almost these three years of Tirana Municipality’s mandate.

To conclude, not merely as a formality since you already know the pleasure I take in appreciating the foreigners, but for the sake of truth I would like to once again express deepest gratitude to the Abu Dhabi Fund, hoping that the good work and the high praise we are receiving today will encourage the Fund to continue working with us and provide a new funding for the new segments under this project, so that the project takes full dimensions and more and more people benefit from this project.

I would also like to appreciate two companies which have carried out high quality construction works on rehabilitation of the entire river stretch and the company that keeps carrying out high quality works on construction of the new boulevard. With the direct request for the Abu Dhabi Fund to support us rehabilitate also the segment from the Zogu Parë square, where intervention is needed to establish the final link between Skanderbeg Square and the boulevard and at the same time to improve the current situation between these two parts, I thank you all for your presence and for your patience.

Thank you very much!