Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama in the presentation of the Agribusiness Support Programme in Albania:

I want to welcome the re-elected President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. His visit to Tirana today has a special meaning. We are happy that, after getting another term, also with the support of Albania, he came to Albania with the strength of a new mandate to launch an innovative project, which we believe will have a tremendous impact on our economy and will provide a significant boost to take the countryside sector to a new stage.

I would like to quote the President, who recently said something very simple, but very useful: “In these turbulent times of ours, Balkan countries should continue on the path of reform and modernization, while Europe should extend solidarity and its active support to these countries.”

I believe that the key to our success for years to come is to be found in this parallel. On the one hand, we have no choice but to push reforms delayed for so many years and make them true, deeper, definitely certified by the European family which we must join, but we must also find our way through credible partners such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, so that Europe will be supportive in relation to this effort of ours.

This project which today we are transforming into agreement, is a two-aspect instrument both in terms of form and of content. On the one hand, there is our will to modernize by finding new ways to provide a tangible support to people who are part of the reform process. On the other hand, there is solidarity which is actively extended by the EBRD, in view of the success of this project.

It is a project that turns into an agreement, and an agreement that turns into a program to create a space previously unknown, for all those who want to invest in rural development; for all those who want to invest in projects in the countryside, whether big or small entrepreneurs.

This is a program that brings together the government, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and several commercial second-level banks that, thanks to the participation of the government and of the EBRD in this program, will be far more prodigal with people who want to invest in the countryside, invest in further growth of exports, in the further sustainable growth of economic in the countryside.

This program will be an added value on the way that we have already paved, to switch from the agriculture of survival and alimony to the agriculture of investments and sustainable development. A way paved with modest means, but with a clear vision and with great persistence through the ARDA, and a path that now has the potential to be extended much further, including the entire financial network in the plans of the people who want to invest in agriculture.

We have seen a significant change that is happening. An increasing number of enterprises that have made a fortune in other ways, such as construction, trade and so on, are now diversifying their portfolio, turning to the countryside and investing in the agricultural production and export.

This is a trend that we want to support very strongly, and this program is a reliable support to further develop this trend. But this is not all. We want to give a new opportunity to all those who live in the countryside and have worked hard to raise their farms, and who are now able to extend them further, but need a reasonable financial support for this.

I would like to emphasize a very significant fact. We have a problem with which we are dealing seriously, and it is bad loans, but what is interesting is that there is no bad loans from the countryside. That part of the economy, which apparently is the most vulnerable part because it is the most informal part, and that at first glance creates evident uncertainty in the banks, is the part that has proved to be much more stable in relation to banks. This can be proven by the Foundation “Besa”, which is in the vanguard of support to the countryside, but also by commercial banks, such as “Credins” and other banks that have granted loans for investments in the countryside that in no case has proved to be instable, translated into bad loans. This is a big psychological guarantee, although in addition to psychological guarantees banks require also financial guarantees. Now they have them, this is why Silvio Pedrazzi was so generous and enthusiastic in his speech, because with the EBRD support, banks are provided total assurance guaranteed also by the Albanian government.

It has not been an easy process, to switch from an innovative idea of our government to an agreement that we are signing today. I want to thank with all my heart and not for protocol reasons, the President of the EBRD, which from day one has been a staunch supporter of Albania and of our government, not in a political meaning, but in terms of partnership. His role in reaching this agreement, to create this instrument that is new and previously unknown, at least in our region, has been fundamental. I want to thank the EBRD team engaged in this project and has provided us an invaluable assistance with its expertise, and has been totally involved, step by step, in a thorough structuring of the program.

After the agreement is signed, the next stage will be a campaign of awareness and information, which we have agreed to organize together with the EBRD and the banks, so that all those who are entrepreneurs in the countryside, or who want to invest in the countryside, are thoroughly informed about this program which, I believe, marks a historic moment for the countryside because it paves the way for a new development, with alternative instruments of the state budget, which will bring much more investment for the countryside. The potential is enormous, but now we must invest seriously to create the necessary absorption capacity of the money available.

Many thanks, with a lot of gratitude!

Now that we passed the Justice Reform, things will certainly get better also from the psychological aspect for all foreign investors. I am very happy that the President of the EBRD also confirmed this. Meanwhile, during these days I have received many messages on Justice Reform, unexpected I would say, from some countries expressing the optimism created by Justice Reform, along with an important impetus for foreign investors to increase their presence in Albania and invest more in our country.