TIRANA (Albania), February 2 (SeeNews) – Albania's parliament said it has approved the decision of the government to start negotiations with a Turkish consortium on a project for construction of an airport in the southwestern city of Vlora.
The parliament said in a statement on Thursday it approved the draft law to pave the way to the start of negotiation and conclusion of a contract between the Albanian government and the consortium comprising Turkish companies Cengiz, Kalyon and Kolin for construction of Vlora airport.
Vlora is Albania's second largest seaport after Durres. Currently, Albania's only operational airport is Tirana International Airport Mother Teresa.
The construction of Vlora airport - an investment estimated at 100 million euro ($123.5 million) - is expected to start later in 2018, Albania's infrastructure and energy minister Damian Gjiknuri said last week. The offer of the Turkish consortium will be evaluated in detail within a period of 90 days by a team of experts from the ministry of infrastructure and energy and the ministry of finance and economy who will then determine the next steps according to the legal procedures.
The project will be completely privately-funded, Gjiknuri said, adding that when completed, Vlora airport will be Albania’s largest and most modern airport.
Vlora airport is expected to help Albania's economic development by fostering employment growth and giving a boost to the tourism sector in the south of the country, local media quoted Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama as saying earlier this month.
The number of foreign tourists who visited Albania in 2017 rose 23.6% to 2.37 million, according to data of the national statistical office, INSTAT.
($ = 0.80939 euro)