The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Thursday that the European Union (EU) will pay grants to Albania in the amount of 80 million euros (79.7 million dollars), which will be used to address the country’s current energy issue. According to Von der Leyen, the energy support package will be a component of the support package worth 500 million euros that the EU will provide to the Western Balkan countries to assist in overcoming the energy crisis and also as investments in energy connections, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Von der Leyen stated that the EU will provide this assistance to the Western Balkan countries in order to help these countries invest in energy connections, energy efficiency, and
During a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, the head of the EU Commission emphasized that the immediate batch of the package will support Albanian families and small businesses in this difficult time and also help the country to address the impact of high energy prices. The press conference took place in Tirana. Earlier on Thursday, Von der Leyen accompanied Rama on a tour of the construction sites for a railway line that will connect the capital city of Tirana with the port city of Durres and the International Airport of Tirana. This is a project that is being funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and is scheduled to be completed in 2024. Von der Leyen visited the construction sites earlier on Thursday. Rama accompanied Von der Leyen. Following her trip to North Macedonia on Wednesday, Von der Leyen will continue across the Western Balkans to her next stop, which will be Albania, on Friday. Additionally, it is planned for her to visit the countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro.
