Project “100 FSHATRAT” Gjiknuri: Guarantees Rural Renaissance

Speech of the Minister Gjiknuri during the presentation of the project “100 FSHATRAT” – a new model of rural development through a program that includes infrastructure, agrotourism, cultural heritage and employment incentives

It is my pleasure to address this audience for one of the extremely ambitious programs of the Albanian government, which was labeled very well with the name Rilindja Rurale after a very successful Urban Renaissance experience. You will say that I, as Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, may look far from the rural part, but precisely the improvement of the infrastructure, also the infrastructure that is related to this program is extremely important. The whole program of the Albanian government for the improvement of road infrastructure, energy infrastructure, water supply and sewerage infrastructure is definitely linked to the village revival.

The village revival addresses one of the fundamental problems that Albania has not only but has many countries. The imbalance of economic development, ie the direction towards the city and leaving the village in oblivion. This program, which in my opinion will be a pioneer, and a development model that will extend to other villages will be extremely successful in bringing the Albanian village out of the abandonment period and turning it into a real renaissance. We will do our part and I want to be concrete. When this program started I ordered that within the water supply and sewerage we have, we address a part of the portfolio for precisely selected villages.

Creating this model will be implemented in many villages with the growing number of people I am very confident that this successful model will bring more tourists. So, micro-projects and here I call on the mayors of these villages in order to address the needs directly related to tourism. The same thing I mean for the 17 development plans that we have this year. It should be kept in mind, and you will cooperate with selected studios that this program of these 100 villages when it falls into these 17 new municipalities is included in the physiognomy of what we want to give. So it will develop agritourism and bring to tourism development in these villages with these micro-businesses.

Finally, as Minister of Energy, I would like to undertake that with the grants, with the opportunities and the growing cooperation with UNDP, or with other funds of international institutions to make micro-projects for energy efficiency. It means a combination of a decentralized power system, solar energy efficient power panels that does not cost much to either small or small municipalities, but on the other hand, we promote a business model, energy efficiency that will turn out very quickly in a model that we can apply everywhere. These seem modest, but I said the development of national infrastructure by combining targeted investments in these villages will bring us success. This is a long way, always begins with the first steps and the government is exactly to guarantee this. I wish successes to this Rural Renaissance program.

Thank you!