Press Release

OFID Director-General meets with Albanian President as part of a country mission
Avenues for future cooperation discussed

47/2009 November 5, 2009 Vienna, Austria
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The Director-General of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Mr. Suleiman J. Al-Herbish, headed an OFID delegation on a high-level mission to Tirana, Albania. The highlight of the mission was an audience with the Albanian President H.E. Professor Dr. Bamir Topi.

The purpose of the mission was two-fold: Firstly, in response to the invitation of H.E. Dr Sali Berisha, Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania and H.E. Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al Madani, President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Mr. Al-Herbish addressed the opening session of the 2nd International Conference on Foreign Investment in Albania as a keynote speaker. The Conference was inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Ridvan Bode, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Albania. This was followed by the statements of the Prime Minister and the President of the IsDB Group.

In his statement, Mr. Al-Herbish thanked the organizers of the event and pointed out that OFID and its sister institution the IsDB were currently cooperating on a number of projects aimed at combating poverty and promoting economic growth. The Director-General assured the Prime Minister that OFID was prepared to strengthen its partnership with Albania, in continuation of the support OFID has already extended to projects in the areas of agriculture, education, health, transportation and water supply. Mr. Al-Herbish expressed OFID’s willingness to fund projects aimed at bolstering Albania’s energy sector, and said that he hoped the conference would give OFID a chance to expand its support to Albania’s private sector.

Another objective of the mission was for Mr. Al-Herbish to hold meetings at the bilateral level with the following Government officials: H.E. Mr. Sali Berisha, Prime Minister; H.E. Mr. Sokol Olldashi, Minister of Public Works, Transportation and Communication; H.E. Mr. Dritan Prifti, Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy; H.E. Mr. Ridvan Bode, Minister of Finance; and H.E. Mr. Petrit Vasili, Minister of Health. Discussions during these meetings revolved around the past and ongoing cooperation between OFID and Albania, and explored the means and possibilities for enhancing cooperation in sectors highlighted as priorities by the Government, such as infrastructure and health. Mr. Al-Herbish also thanked the officials for the warm reception and hospitality extended to the delegation.

Meetings at the technical level also took place with the Director of the Department for Strategy and Donor Coordination at the Office of the Prime Minister, and Albanian Development Fund’s Coordinator for Rural Roads Project.

The OFID delegation visited the sites of two OFID co-financed projects; namely, the Durres and Kavaja General Hospitals, which contributed to the Albanian Government’s goal to develop the country’s health sector and provide underserved populations with affordable, comprehensive medical services. The four-story, 350-bed hospital in the port city of Durres was completed in 2003 and relies exclusively on Albanian medical staff. In Kavaja, OFID is co-financing, with the IsDB, the construction of an 80-bed hospital to provide secondary health care services to the Kavaja region. This health facility is expected to be operational by March 2010. The visit was followed by a press conference with the local television and media.

Finally, Mr. Al-Herbish and his delegation were received by H.E. Prof. Dr. Bamir Topi, President of the Republic of Albania. The President expressed the appreciation of the Albanian people for all the support Albania has received from OFID over the past 16 years. During this period, the country recorded a substantial improvement in the living conditions of its population, while consolidating its economic and strategic position among regional partners. Mr. Al-Herbish reiterated OFID’s willingness to pursue its cooperation with Albania in priority sectors such as rural infrastructure and health.

Arabic version