Durrës-Prishtina Railway, Rama: We have a number of projects, in the next decade you will also use the train

Prime Minister Edi Rama has responded to criticism from commentators regarding the red-black railway connecting Durres with Pristina, about which one of them wrote that it will never be realized.

Responding to the accusation that the project was made public during the election period, Rama stated that in fact the project was presented at the joint meeting of the two governments.

"This project has been presented at every stage, even at a joint meeting of the two governments, when it was at the level of a draft idea. It has nothing to do with the elections, but with the new phase where the Austrian consultants have determined the option of passing from Shkodra, through Gjakova to Pristina as the best, therefore our joint team has seen fit to announce the closure of this phase as life goes on. The second is how much this will cost, which will again be done by a high-level international expertise and will be approved by the European Investment Fund for the Western Balkans. One thing is certain, that without money the railway cannot be built and whether these projects will be completed or not, this is not in the hands of those who curse and mock from the cafes of Tirana or Pristina, but those who design and work in the trenches of the future.", Rama said.

Another commentator who writes that he should finish the one in Durres, Rama responds:

"The railway program is a new and comprehensive package, the time for which has now come and which has been opened in Tirana-Rinas-Durrës where work is nearing completion. But what you should know is the fact that the delays in starting work on that railway have been linked to Albania's still weak position until a few years ago, where neither the EU nor its development banks, the source of financing for the railway package, took us very seriously. Today is a different story and that is why we are in advanced processes with the Durrës-Hani i Hotit railway, where work starts within this year, Durrës-Rrogozhinë, the Corridor 8 railway or Durrës-Fier and Fier-Vlorë, all of these will start in turn but no later than 2030. All of these are in various construction processes. At the beginning of the next decade, they will all be in operation and you will also be able to use the train."

In response to another comment, which told him that he should finish unfinished projects before making other 3D plans, Rama said:

"Every new public work starts from a dream, then becomes a plan, then a 3D project and then into action. I think we have shown that our 3Ds are simply the penultimate link in realizing a dream and turning it into reality. But we need garlic like you to not have more problems than necessary and can with the evil eye while Albania 2030 is taking shape day by day, with dreams, work and a lot of patience. Extra patience is needed to cope with you and your friends," the prime minister said.