Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama at the inauguration of the new Durres-Bari ferry line:
As stated by the Deputy Minister of Transport, our presence here without ties and with our shirts untucked is not a lack of respect for the company and this important event, but it is the willingness to dive in the water today with our shirts on.
I am very happy that we are here today, actually, because it is a very important transformation moment. It is not just about the new ship for Albanian or Italian passengers, for let us not forget that it’s not only the 500 thousand or half a million Albanians living in Italy who want to come in Albania, but it’s also 20 thousand Italian living and working in Albania and who want to go to Italy.
It is a mutual interest, and I am convinced that one of the Italians who have found a job in Albania, and who is also here with us, Carlo Bollino, is certainly very happy that the standard of his sea trip towards home was raised exponentially thanks to this prestigious company, not only Italian, but also European. Therefore, it is not about the arrival of a new ship, but it is about opening a new chapter, sought after for a long time and with lots of efforts in the first period of our government, because we have been aware from the first moment that passengers who want to use the sea route to go and to come to Europe via Italy cannot be provided the miserable level, standards and service that have degraded over the years and that have been imposed as the only option in the recent years.
This company not only brings a new standard for its customers, but it brings a very strong impetus to enhancing the quality of service also by existing competitors, or others who would want to come into this completely open market where we are willing to serve and to give the right to travel to anyone who will provide the standards deserved by Albanian and Italian citizens, or whoever wants to use Italy to come in Albania in 2015, so in the 21st century.
Even before the ship “Rapsodi” enters the market, which will occur on July 31, the first effect will be the reduction of prices by competitors. We have been informed about this with pleasure in recent weeks, as soon as the company started to make its advertising campaign to let know all those who want to travel by sea that starting from July 31 the company will be available to those who want to use the sea route between Italy and Albania.
If we refer to the EU 2013 Progress Report on this sector, the European Commission clearly shows the backwardness of the country and of this sector, which we inherited without any progress, with a legislation that did not comply absolutely with the European legislation, with very low technical and administrative capacities, with drained human resources in the administration of the ports and in the administration of this sector, and so on. Therefore, the clear objective set by the government, and repeatedly targeted by the Ministry of Transports and Infrastructure, has been from the beginning to address this complex problem, which has made Albania use today with a very low level of management and with no vision, only 60% of the possibilities and capacity. Even this 60% is very generous in relation to the reality, because in reality, within this 60%, standards of use are very low and the level of understanding of the strategic importance of this sector in Albania is very low.
The year 2014 marked a turning point in the right direction for the maritime transport in Albania. Port statistics began to talk about an increase, though modest, but still growing, of the processing and transportation of goods. However, despite this, we are absolutely unsatisfied with this situation and hope that after this important event, we will be able to announce within this year another success story in the effort of the Government and of the Ministry of Transport, to bring in the Port of Durres and administer this important national asset, one of the biggest and prestigious companies in the world. If we succeed in this efforts, it will mark a historic turning point for the Port of Durres and the maritime transport in general.
I want to reiterate once again, that the arrival of this ship and the establishment of this new transport standard is a reason not to feel pleased, as if we made a miracle, but to be very encouraged that it is a proof that persistence in achieving results in addressing goals leads to success. For us it is a success that the company “Grandi Navi Veloci” is here present, and that it will operate in the Albanian market from July 31.
I am convinced that the benefit will be mutual. Albanians are tireless travelers, and despite the not high economic level compared to other peoples of Europe, I believe that they are also the people traveling more than all the others and consuming more SMS than everyone else. These are two figures enough to encourage both companies and operators in the field of transport and arguably operators in the field of telecommunications, who are very much encouraged by the results of their investment in telecommunications, since even shepherds on the steepest cliffs are looking forward to having 4G on their mobiles.
So I am convinced that you will have profits from Albania, because that’s why you are here, for profits and not for charity. You were not brought here by the Vatican but by economic interest. I am also convinced that Albania and Albanians have a great profit from your arrival at the Port of Durres, and as my dear friend Massimo Gaiani said, I hope that this will be the beginning of a radical transformation in the way we perceive the cooperation between the two countries, and in the function of the not utopian objective to use the link between the two countries as a benchmark that will increase the capacity, both for the Port of Bari, or for other Italian ports, and for the Port of Durres or other ports of Albania, where undoubtedly the ongoing changes in the region will have their impact, and all roads will lead not to Rome, but to Durres. Thank you!
