Rama: Corridor VIII, part of the European network, increases Albania's strategic importance

2026-03-07 14:40:00, Aktualitet CNA

Rama: Corridor VIII, part of the European network, increases Albania's

Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that Corridor VIII has long been considered strategic for Albania, but for a long period it was not accepted by the European Union as part of the European corridors.

According to him, the reason was that not all EU countries supported the inclusion of this corridor in the European network, as such a status makes it eligible for financing from European Union funds and European financial institutions.

Rama emphasized that after Albania's insistence, at the EU-Western Balkans Summit, Corridor VIII was included in the European network of corridors, giving it a new strategic importance.

The Prime Minister added that the project also requires cooperation with neighboring countries, such as North Macedonia and Bulgaria, while a quadrilateral cooperation program has also been created, which also includes Italy, due to the strategic importance of this corridor.

According to Rama, Corridor VIII has also been included in the network of corridors for the movement of NATO military forces, which further increases its importance as a strategic asset for the region.

He emphasized that the construction of a military wing at the port will make the corridor even more important, increasing the economic value, development of surrounding areas, and social impact for the country.

"Corridor VIII has long been a corridor understood and declared strategic for our country but has not been accepted by the EU as a European corridor. The reason is that not all EU countries wanted this corridor and there was a refusal by the EU to include it in the European corridors because it gives a corridor value as an EU asset. Being such, the corridor becomes financeable from European funds and that can be obtained from European financial organizations, it was our insistence that at the EU-Western Balkans summit this corridor was included in the European network of corridors. By doing this, not only was its strategic nature understood but also its strategic importance was sealed, together with the new port of Durres, it guarantees a movement of goods and people from east to west.

In parallel, the corridor should also be built in the countries we have annexed or then practically in North Macedonia and Bulgaria. I don't know if you have followed, but a quadrilateral cooperation program has been built, including Italy, due to the strategic importance of Corridor VIII.

Corridor VIII is included in the corridors of movement of NATO military forces, which increases its value and makes it more important as an asset. Our effort to build a military wing of the port will make the corridor more important and will increase its value and the value of the property around it and of course the economic and social impact. This is a big job to sink into the mud of machinery that does nothing but produce mud. It has nothing to do with the impact of the work or as all the pot experts used to say, with taking gravel from the river, you have to be ignorant and a very big fool to blow people's ears with such nonsense. The farce of those who do this work every day, some are paid by the people's taxes, they are representatives of someone who has completely lost their minds, some are paid in the black to do this work at night in media clubs", said Rama./ CNA