The well-known Greek newspaper "Kathimerini" sheds light on the reasons for the meeting that the American Ambassador to Athens, Kimberly Guilfoyle, held a few days ago with Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana.
The head of the Albanian government himself said after the meeting that the conversation focused on American interests in the region. “The ambassador came for an acquaintance meeting, to discuss several issues of high American interest in the region, related to energy, regional cooperation and access to third forces. The US ambassador in Athens is a well-known representative in American politics,” Rama said during a press conference.
Meanwhile, today Kathimerini talks about a Greek-American investment in the mining sector that could be realized in Albania. “The framework agreement signed with the BNI Foundation relates to exclusive cooperation for the exploration, development and exploitation of critical mineral resources in the neighboring country (Albania), especially nickel and cobalt. The sources explain that this development de facto places a Greek company at the center of European and American efforts to secure critical raw materials, especially those needed for the production of batteries for storing electricity,” writes Kathimerini.
The agreement foresees the creation of a joint venture under Albanian legislation, where the AKTOR group will own 51% through its subsidiary, AKTOR Metal, and 49% BNI Foundation through its subsidiaries. BNI Foundation, part of an organization with various activities in energy, health and tourism in the Balkans, will contribute with the mining rights and licenses it already owns. “The value of the investment, in the full development phase, is expected to reach 1 billion euros. It is important that the financing will be based mainly on American capital, while the project will benefit from technical advice and support from companies headquartered in the US. The participation of American factors underlines the importance of the project for the Western supply chain and explains the involvement of AKTOR, which has previously developed commercial relations with American companies, for example in the trade of liquefied natural gas. The investment interest of this Greek-American initiative is focused on the Bilisht area,” continues the article of “Kathimerini”.
According to "Kathimerini", the announcement of the agreement between AKTOR and the American company is related to the visit a few days ago to Tirana of the head of the AKTOR group, Alexandros Exarchos, accompanied by the American ambassador to Athens, Kimberly Guilfoyle, during which a meeting with Prime Minister Edi Rama took place.
