Mission in Albania

A lone fighter looks towards EU accession

Carinthian business delegation explores Albania.

(Bild: Felix Justich)

For many people, Albania is still a blank spot on the map, but the Balkan state is a dynamic economy and is taking the first official steps towards becoming an EU member. A business delegation from Carinthia visited the country to see for themselves.

Mountains, lots of sunshine and sustainable energy from hydropower - at first (superficial) glance, there are some similarities between Albania and Carinthia. On the other hand, more people live in the metropolitan area of the capital Tirana than in the southernmost federal state and it is still a good 25 degrees in mid-October. This is also reflected in the economy - tourism is growing enormously here, with bathers in particular drawn to Albania's coasts.

Communism and isolation
The Balkan state with around 2.5 million inhabitants can look back on an eventful past since its independence in 1912, was occupied by Mussolini's Italy at the end of the 1930s, then the Nazis "took over" and were finally defeated by the communist partisans in 1944. Communism then ruled - first in close ties with Yugoslavia, then Russia and finally China. But with the death of Mao, this relationship also ended and Albania became completely isolated. Bunkers were built all over the country so that "true" communism could be rebuilt after another world war.

The building of the Prime Minister, Edi Rama, in Tirana.

(Bild: Felix Justich)

A large delegation from Austria visited Albania.

(Bild: Felix Justich)

Between old buildings are modern structures that also offer views of new projects.

(Bild: Felix Justich)

Visit to the Albanian branch of Raiffeisenbank.

(Bild: Felix Justich)

The communist chapter finally came to an end with the elections in 1992 and today the focus is on Europe. "The process of joining the EU has just begun. The first step is about democracy and the rule of law," explains Christoph Sturm, who is also responsible for Albania as a trade delegate in Athens. "Austria has a good reputation here, ranks sixth in terms of investment and also runs its own technical college for IT and computer technology here with a good 300 students."

Entrepreneurs in search of new contacts
So why is the Austrian economy not much more strongly represented here, as it is in neighboring countries? One reason is the language barrier, as Albanian is a completely independent language group with no parallels to Slavic, Romance or Germanic languages. "Otherwise we are well represented in the Balkans, but there is still a blank spot here. Austria has otherwise benefited incredibly from the EU's eastward expansion," emphasizes Benjamin Wakounig, President of the Slovenian Business Association. 

For most Carinthian entrepreneurs from a wide range of sectors, the business mission was therefore primarily about making new contacts and finding trustworthy local partners. "We had been in contact with one entrepreneur for some time, but this was the first time we were able to meet," says Alexander Glaunach, whose company produces "silencers" for industry. "So the trip definitely paid off."

The mission also provided new insights for the Chamber of Commerce itself. "It's exciting to see what's happening here. I myself am well represented in business in the Balkans, but not at all in Albania," explains WK President Jürgen Mandl. "A lot still needs to be done to join the EU, but it is extremely important that the entire Balkans are connected to Europe - economically and politically."