24 January, Tirana: The capital has come on leaps and bounds since my first visit, more than a decade ago. Today I would be attending the opening ceremony of the world’s first ever cashpoint machine to be installed in a hot air balloon. That’s progress for you! The balloon contains an advanced helium mixture, and the automated teller machine, according to the city’s mayor, is equipped with an “anti-nudge” device and state-of-the-art surveillance cameras to enable decent folk to access their Lek in a secure environment.
Unfortunately, no-one told the pilot we were coming and the bloody thing took off before we could get in. Poor show all round I’d say (and I did say, for half an hour, to the Minister for Public Order & Appearance).
Day ends with state banquet in honour of the Chinese Ambassador, at which I represented the British government (well, I was the only Brit there). Plenty of bait cast in Chinese waters for nice juicy engineering contracts. I can’t go in to details but let’s just say that my friends at WS Atkins will be very interested in what I have to say on my return. The food was better than I expected as well (no sheep’s eyes!), partly making up for the poor flow of alcohol.
25 January, Fier. First sortie outside the capital reveals some pretty terrible looking places. The people visibly sag under the weight of crushing poverty. Eventually we arrive at our destination, the former Roman city of Fier, and a guided tour of an oil refinery. When I say energy is the big problem in Albania, I don’t mean the lazy waiters. 12-hour power cuts are commonplace, even in Tirana, and clearly urgent action is needed, not just here but right across the Balkans, in order to update flagging regional infrastructure. My prognosis is stark: forget oil. Go nuclear and let’s get business booming.
Meetings with the town’s mayor and other local dignitaries on subjects ranging from the price of meat imports to David Beckham go well and Igor, our chauffeur, swears his great-great aunt was an Aboriginal. I return to base camp thoroughly whacked and in need of relaxation which promptly arrives, courtesy of Igor, in the form of a bottle of J&B.
26 January, Tirana. My final appointment is at a rock climbing school (I am a patron) on the edge of town. It’s great to see the kids enjoy themselves on the indoor wall we’ve had built in the school canteen. It may only be 8 feet high but these kids make the most of it and are very grateful for all I’ve done for them. Am presented with an honorary dish commemorating my visit, which I’ll add to my growing collection of foreign memorabilia.
In conclusion, former Communist dictator Enver Hoxha would turn in his grave at the free market reforms, but he is long gone. I actually held Hoxha in higher esteem than some of his brutal contemporaries, as he was a proud nationalist who in the end had the good sense to burn his bridges with the evil soviet empire.
The modern Albania develops apace and the future is looking decidedly bright for those who wish to dip their fiscal toes in the waters of this Adriatic state. Albania is a country on the right path and with the guiding hand of foreign investment can become the sort of stable free market economy that we’d all like to see. I am preparing the dossier for my exotic venture capital friends now.
(Originally published 4 February 2007)
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