The European Commission has issued a veiled warning to the Albanian government over a €1.4 billion development project linked to the family of US President Donald Trump. Protests against plans for a protected area on the Adriatic coast have been going on for a second week, writes Euronews.
On Monday, Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama told Reuters in an interview that his country would continue building a luxury resort, the brainchild of US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his daughter Ivanka Trump. A development project is set to be built on a remote stretch of the Balkan coast, despite protests over the environmental impact.
Protests in Albania
The protests have been dubbed the “flamingo revolution” because this stretch of coast is a migratory stop for the birds. They turned into a broader opposition to Prime Minister Rama. The European Union, which has 27 member states, has declared that it can admit new members, including Montenegro, Albania and Ukraine, by 2030, but this depends on compliance with EU regulations, including those regarding the environment.
A European Commission spokesman said Tirana must “refrain from actions that could undermine” its bid for European Union membership. “We expect the Albanian authorities to take action without delay.” said spokesman Guillaume Mercier. “We are in contact with the Albanian authorities on this matter,” he added.
Ivanka Trump
The plans cover two protected areas: the Narta Lagoon area, a wildlife reserve and a smaller resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan. Affinity Partners, the investment company behind the project, which received special access from the Albanian state authorities, is associated with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
His wife, Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, described on a US podcast last week how she and her husband discovered Sazan Island.
“We were on a friend's boat and stopped for a swim. That's basically how we found her,” Ivanka Trump said. “We sailed to the island. We hiked barefoot to the top and were just delighted.”
