The project has aimed to promote and develop an appropriate policies,
institutional arrangements, and enterprise-level in Albania, to ensure the accelerated
inflow of foreign investment, technology and management into Albania through promotional
policies and measures, institutional arrangements and enterprise level development which
is necessary during the transition period towards a market economy. This is expected to
bring about economic growth and an improvement in the standard of living of the Albanian
people, primarily through private-sector initiative, with necessary governmental policy
assistance and institutional support.
The project has already made a significant contribution to the
improvement of the investment climate in Albania. This was most evident during the
November 1996 International Conference on Foreign Direct Investment in Tirana when over
100 international companies attended and expressed interest in investment opportunities in
Albania. Unfortunately last years' political situation in Albania has undone some of the
achievements of the project, especially with respect to the country’s image and
investors’ confidence. In addition, the capacity of the Albanian Economic
Development Agency (AEDA) has been strengthened for promoting and facilitating investment,
and its staff trained in investment promotion. A follow-up International Conference on
Foreign Investment in Albania was held in Tirana in November of 1999 in an effort to
refocus the attention of the business community at large on the current obstacles to
foreign investment in Albania, and to encourage constructive debate on the subject. The
project will ultimately concentrate its efforts on assisting in drafting a Foreign Direct
Investment Strategy Paper for Albania.
