Tirana, 8 Jan. 2007 (AlbanianTimes) – Last week, when Albanian minister of trade and industry Genc Ruli, invited journalists for an end of year party, he spoke especially about geopolitics, and about what he called the Russian revival. He also offered to the journalists Stolichnaya vodka, imported directly from Moscow, while only some days earlier Russian Ambassador Aleksandar Prisepov in Tirana presented to local newspaper "Shqip" his country’s ambitions in regard to the Albanian land.
Russia is interested in the privatization of the Albanian state electricity monopoly - KESH, and is building gas pipeline through Albania to Italy, Prisepov has said.
Since rightwing Democratic Party came in power back in September 2005, Albania has constantly been improving relations with Moscow.
Last year Albanian foreign minister Besnik Mustafaj visited Moscow, later several bilateral agreements were signed. Russia has become Albania’s sixths largest trade partner.
In 2005, trade volume reached USD 100 million and USD 80 million in the first three-quarters of 2006, mostly petroleum.
Albanian opposition has since argued that such improvements in relations with Russia have been going on while some American backed projects have been blocked. Last week, a local official from the Fier district (southwest of the country) announced his decision to halt progress for the construction of an electricity and gas facility project, which is partly backed by a USD 600 million investment through US EXIM bank.
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