Tirana, Albania. Thousands of Albanians protested in Tirana late on Thursday against a planned luxury resort near the Vjosa-Narta protected area, in the largest demonstration this week over the project. The €1.4 billion development is being led by Jared Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners on an island and an undeveloped stretch of coastline in southern Albania.
Protests expand from local site to capital
Groundwork and the arrival of heavy machinery at the Vjosa-Narta site triggered local protests last week, followed by large street demonstrations in Tirana. Protesters gathered again outside the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday night, holding pink inflatable flamingos and chanting “revolution” and “stop the project.”
A placard at the protest read: “Edi Rama, resign.”
Environmental concerns over protected coastal area
Environmentalists oppose the plan, saying it would affect several hundred hectares of pristine beaches and thousands of flamingos that nest and pass through nearby areas each year. The proposed site lies near the Vjosa-Narta protected area, a wetland in southern Albania that is home to flamingos, seals and sea turtle nesting sites.
Writer Lindita Komani, who joined the protests, said: “Albania is not for sale. Albania belongs to the Albanian people and we decide what we want to do here. It’s not that some corrupt politicians who run Albania can decide what they can do with our property, with the Albanian heritage, the natural heritage, a cultural heritage.”
Government and developers defend the project
Rama has defended the project, while developers have said their focus will be “responsible stewardship and environmental enhancement.”
Economy and Innovation Minister Delina Ibrahimaj said on Thursday that environmental impact assessments were being drafted for the proposed investment and that it would have to comply fully with environmental legislation and safeguard the local habitat.
According to Albania’s state news agency ATA, Ibrahimaj said European environmental directives and Albanian law provide legal guarantees against projects that could harm the protected lagoon and surrounding habitats.
Part of wider regional investment plans
Kushner announced plans for the resort in 2024 as part of a wider investment that also included a former army headquarters in Belgrade. Last year, he abandoned the Serbia project following street protests.
