H.E. Edi Rama, Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania

Erion Veliaj, Mayor, Tirana Municipality

Almost a decade after Albania joined NATO, and a few months after EU leaders reaffirmed their unequivocal support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans and the latter aligned themselves with the “Sofia Declaration” at the May 2018 EU-Western Balkans Summit, what is the current geopolitical state within and around Albania and the Western Balkans? And how are these geopolitics affected by the current global power shift from West to East?

Moderator: Marinela Jazoj, Executive Director, Foreign Investors Association of Albania

Discussants

H.E. Sanja Bujas Juraga, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Republic of Albania

H.E. Eleni Sourani, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the Republic of Albania

H.E. Christina Vasak, Ambassador of France to the Republic of Albania

H. E. Luigi Soreca, EU Ambassador to Albania

According to the latest OECD index on Competitiveness in South Eastern Europe, Albania is among the leading economies for FDI inflow measured as a percentage of GDP. Nevertheless, Albania has no good ranking in terms of FDI as a portion of GDP compared to the EU, the World Bank predicts the FDI inflow decline by 2019, and the country’s economic policies do not yet facilitate environmentally sustainable economic growth. What are the challenges hampering necessary structural reforms and how can they be effectively tackled?

Keynote statement

* Arben Ahmetaj, Minister of Economy & Finance, Albania

Sokol Nano, Executive Director, Albanian Investment Development Agency

Ines Mucostepa, Chair, Union of Chambers of Commerce & Industry in Albania

Nikolin Jaka, Chairman, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Albania 

Radmilo Vlacic, General Manager, Philip Morris Albania

Julien Roche, Chairman, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Albania

Georgios Papanastasiou, CEO, Alpha Bank Albania & President of HBAA

Maksim Caslli, County Leader, Deloitte, Albania & Kosovo

Tom Kristian Larsen, President, Foreign Investors Association in Albania

Antonio Nidoli, Chairman, Italian Chamber of Commerce in Albania

Dario Grassani, Member of the Council of Confindustria Albania & Deputy CEO, Intesa Sanpaolo   Bank Albania

Rohan D’Souza, Chairman, Shell Companies in Albania

Shpend Balija, CEO, European Investors Council, Kosovo

Producing the greatest part of its locally consumed energy from hydropower, Albania is well ahead of all the EU member states in terms of the proportion of energy consumed from renewable sources. Nevertheless, unstable energy supply and frequent outages coupled with less developed transport and telecoms networks account for an aggregate index of average infrastructure development that is 70% lower than the EU average. How can Albania boost investment (public and/or private) in infrastructure so as to reap the relevant growth and FDI benefits?

Opening statement

Damian Gjiknuri, Minister of Energy and Industry, Albania

Achilleas Kanaris, CEO, Vodafone, Albania

Yannis Kirkinezis, Business Development Director, Hill International

Stephanie Sieg, General Manager, Tirana Business Park

Dimitris Tsolkas, Representative, Egnatia Odos S.A., Albania Branch

Erideta Bashi, Director Strategic Planning & Management, KESH Albania

Stathis Natsis, Executive Director, Overseas Business, TERNA 

Erlet Shaqe, Chairman, Albania Energy Association

Anita Shushku, Chair, Albanian Renewable Energy Association 

Guido Clary, Country Manager, European Investment Bank, Albania

Matteo Colangeli, Head of EBRD, Albania 

Dmitry Pankin, President and CEO, Black Sea Trade and Development Bank 

Björn Thies, Country Head, KfW Albania

According to London-based World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Economic Impact 2018 country report, Albania’s tourism and travel sector’s direct contribution to the country’s economy is expected to grow to 9.3% by 2028 (from 8.5% in 2017), forecast to grow by an average of 4.7% per annum over the next decade. How can enhancements in infrastructure, connectivity and FDI unlock Albania’s untapped potential in the sector and make the travel and tourism industry one of the key drivers of economic growth?

Opening statement

Blendi Klosi, Minister of Tourism and Environment, Albania 

Discussants

Stela Dhami, Managing Director, Colliers International, Albania

Edlira Muka, CEO, Balfin Group, Albania

Albin Gega, Director, Albanian National Tourism Agency

Arlinda Çausholli, Director of Communication, Tirana International Airport