Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed that there are strong friendship and brotherhood ties between Turkey and Albania, adding, “Bilateral political relations have been increased to the level of strategic partnership. Our economic relations further strengthen our ties from history.”

Noting that Albania offers serious business opportunities with its geographical location and European Union accession process, Hisarcıklıoğlu said they support Albania's accession process with the European Union and hope that accession talks be launched as soon as possible.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that he believes this process will bring serious economic transformation and development, “The free trade agreement between our countries has provided a favorable environment for our mutual trade. Our trade has increased by folds in the last decade. We also believe that it is possible to increase our trade from half a billion dollars to $2 billion. That's what we're working for. Our businesspeople have invested heavily in Albania, believing in the Albanian economy and Albania’s bright future. Our investments in areas such as banking, telecoms, finance, energy, mining, iron and steel and agricultural production will increase to cover different areas.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu said TOBB and the Union of Albanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry are working closely to strengthen the economic dimension of relations and have established the Turkey-Albania Chamber of Commerce and Industry Forum.

Stating that they want to support businesspeople who want to contribute to bilateral relations through trade and investments, Hisarcıklıoğlu invited all participating companies to become members of the Turkey-Albania Dual Chamber and asked them to benefit from the services.

Reminding that they are working together with the Union of Chambers of Albania and EUOCHAMBRES and the Balkan Chambers Association, the TOBB President said, “I believe that with the support of Albanian Minister of Finance and Economy Anila Denaj, the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Albania will become stronger. The A stronger Chamber will be an important support for investors for the development of the private sector and a more investor-friendly business environment. After meetings with Anila Denaj, Minister of Finance and Economy of Albania in Tirana in December 2019 and Ankara in January 2020, we received a serious improvement signal in this direction. On the Minister's orders, my friend Ines Mucestepa and I met a delegation from Albania last year. We conveyed our experience in Chamber system, customs gate modernization and organized industrial zones in Turkey.  After the pandemic, I believe that contacts in this direction will intensify.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu thanked Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan and Albanian Minister of Finance and Economy Anila Denaj, saying, “Ministers; your participation in this business forum has honored and encouraged businesspeople from Turkey and Albania who participated in our business forum.”

- Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan

Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's official visit to Turkey on January 6^th and 7^th made it very important that the Business and Investment Forum between the two countries be held. Pekcan recalled that the declaration to increase relations between the two countries to the strategic level was also signed between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Rama.

Noting that Turkey's economy has exhibited significant signs of normalization since mid-2020, especially in the last quarter, Pekcan said that with exports of $51.2 billion, the highest quarterly export figure to date was achieved in the last quarter, and the capacity utilization rate increased to 75.6 as of January 2021.

Pekcan emphasized the importance of having $6.1 billion dollars input in the January-November period of 2020 despite the outbreak in terms of direct investments, noting that the Manufacturing Sector (PMI) Index rose again last month, above the 50 level.

Pekcan said that trade volume between Turkey and Albania has gradually increased over the years to the level of “half a billion dollars”, and that the Free Trade Agreement, which has been in place since 2008, is important for the development of trade relations.

Pekcan said she believes Forum founded last year between the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and the Union of Albanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry will give significant impetus to relations, adding that in this sense, significant responsibility has fallen on the Turkey-Albania Business Council.

Pekcan expressed her belief that bilateral trade and economic relations would be moved to much more advanced levels thanks to the visions and support of the heads of state, and thanked Albanian Finance and Economy Minister Anila Denaj, the Albanian government, ambassadors, TOBB and the Union of Chambers of Albania for contributing to the forum.

- Albanian Minister of Finance and Economy Denaj

Albanian Finance and Economy Minister Anila Denaj said Turkey was one of the first countries to support Albania after the 2019 earthquake and had made a hospital in the city of Fier, adding: “Turkey is one of Albania's most important strategic partners in the region and in the wider geography.”

Referring to relations between Turkey and Albania, Denaj said, “Turkey has shown that it is a friendly country. It is a country that was with us in the most difficult moments. They sent search and rescue teams from the first moments of the earthquake in November 2019. Not only that, they showed support in all areas. Fier Regional Hospital, which was built with Turkey's support, will be completed shortly.”

Denaj thanked Turkey for its support of Albania, saying, “Turkey is one of Albania's most important strategic partners in the region and in the wider geography. What I just said is proof of this.”

Stressing that bilateral relations continue to develop in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic, Denaj recalled Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's visit to Turkey, saying, “The declarations signed to implement the issues agreed upon by our governments and institutions provide the opportunity to open a new page in relations between the two countries.”

Denaj also touched on the cooperation and investment efforts of the investors of the two countries, saying, “We do our best to facilitate the work of Turkish investors. Both governments have contributed to this matter. Cooperation in many areas such as tourism and infrastructure is increasing. At the same time, we want to improve our cooperation in many areas such as innovation, which is very important in the age of digitalization.”

Stressing that the meeting is important for improving commerce and commerce chambers in Albania, Denaj said, “Sharing experiences is very important for us and for the development of our relations. We are working to implement the best experiences.”

- Other speakers

Ines Mucostepa, President of the Union of Albanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said bilateral trade relations have reached 8.2% in 2020, while a total of 594 Turkish companies are registered and active in Albania.

Mucostepa invited Turkish companies to invest directly in strategic sectors such as transportation, infrastructure and agriculture, energy, starting with tourism. Mucostepa stated that they encourage economic development between the two countries and are undertaking projects to improve cooperation.

Turkish Ambassador to Tirana Murat Ahmet Yörük noted that this is the first event to bring together the political and business worlds and economic experts of the two countries they have been working on for a long time. The main aim of the conference, he said, is to open new window of opportunity and offer a concrete perspective to the business worlds of the two countries.

Ambassador Yörük emphasized that, while the world economies are going through a very difficult period, political and economic relations between Turkey and Albania are at their most fruitful.

Albanian Ambassador to Ankara Kastriot Robo said organizing this conference is very important for the two countries. Stressing that Turkey and Albania have great potential in trade and economic fields, Robo said Turkish investments in Albania are very important and will create more opportunities for increased economic cooperation between the two countries.