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Albania has a strategic location, political and economic stability, and low costs of doing business. Situated on the Western Balkans with a long coast on the Adriatic and Ionian seas, Albania guarantees a work-to-lifestyle logistic arrangement. Located in the Balkans, Albania is bordered by Greece in the southeast, Macedonia in the east, Kosovo in the northeast, and Montenegro in the north. In front of it (bordered by the Adriatic Sea) is Italy. The main airport is called Mother Teresa Airport, located in Rinas, between Tirana and Durresi cities.
The geo-strategic position of Albania plays an essential role in the country’s economic, political and social approach to the Western model. Albania has always been at the crossroad between east and west, while the access to the Adriatic and Ionian seas means more opportunities for economic cooperation with the countries of the Mediterranean Region and beyond.
Location: Europe (Southeast Europe)
Bordered by Montenegro (north) – 186 km
Kosovo (northeast) – 112 km
Macedonia (east) – 181 km
Greece (southeast/south) – 212 km
Capital City Tirana is just a few hours flights away from the main European capitals.
From TIRANA International Airport to
Rome 1h 25 min
Vienna 1h 35 min
Athens 1h 35 min
Frankfurt 2h 20 min
Amsterdam 3 hours
London 3 hours
Istanbul 1h 35 min
Skopje 4hours drive
Corfu 4 hours
Ohrid 2h 45 min
Albania provides access to the following potential markets
The Albanian language speaking region – over five million people all over the Balkans
South-Eastern Europe – A market of over 122 million people
The European Union – Albanian offers international companies a multilingual workforce and low cost to access the EU market of over 500 million people.
Population 2.876 million
Capital: Tirana
Official language: Albanian
Currency: Lek
Size: 28,748km2
Length of the coastline: 427km
Calling Code: +355
Internet TLD: .al
Gini Coefficient 29.0
Life expectancy at birth, years: 78
Unemployment rate: 13.9%
Inflation Rate September 2017: 1.6%
The country offers a combination of economic and strategic stability
EU candidate country status obtained in 2013
United Nations since December 14, 1955.
NATO since April 1, 2009
OSCE since June 19, 1991
Council of Europe (CoE) since 13 July 1995
UNESCO since 1958
Albania is a member of WTO, CEFTA
Albania receives financial assistance from the EU under IPA II. The funding allocation for 2014-2020 is Euro 649.4 million
Albania offers a unique lifestyle experience within easy reach of Tirana
Albania’s tourism offer provides choices for marine tourism, diving, caving, hiking, lake tourism, skiing, rafting, paragliding, etc.
Butrint, Gjirokastra, and Berat along with Rrajca and Lumi i Gashit are inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage List
There are 384 protected areas in Albania.
Albania is one of the few countries in the world that depend on 100 percent of renewable energy obtained by hydropower.
Education
Albanians pay more attention to university education compared to vocational education.
Opportunities for international companies in Albania:
Foreign languages education
Vocational training
Life-long learning
Specialized courses
Skills and management training in the public sector