The Letter From The Consulate

No. 203.

Gentofte/Copenhagen, Thursday 30 March 2023

Dear reader,

The LEK is strenghened against Euro and Dollar.
The tendency of the strengthening of the lek against the currencies of the main trading partners has a positive effect in terms of efforts to reduce the inflation level. Being an economy dependent on the import of goods, the strengthening of the lek has partially amortized the effect of the increase in prices in international markets.
On the other hand, the significant strengthening of the local currency is a great concern for the sectors that export goods and services, because it reduces their margins and competitiveness.
As we enter the second quarter of the year, inbound tourism is expected to increase gradually and foreign exchange inflows from it as well. Agents believe that, in the absence of unexpected developments, the short-term outlook for the exchange rate remains in favor of a further appreciation of the lek.
The US dollar is also showing a similar downward trend. According to the Bank of Albania, the dollar traded today on average at 104.7 ALL, also marking the lowest level of 2023.

The Vjosa river became a natural park

Please clisk on the picture to view how it happened.

First survey on the local election on May 14 2023

The Socialist Party continues to remain the political force that holds the majority in the country. From the results of the survey of the Italian Piepoli institute in collaboration with Report TV, 46%-50% of the citizens surveyed at the national level would vote for the Socialist Party for the May 14 elections. Compared to the results of the general parliamentary elections of 2021, where it won with 47.67%, SP has no wavering in the results and continues to hold the first place. The Democratic Party appears with a drastic decline! Only 11-15% of the citizens surveyed at the national level say they will vote for the Democratic Party on May 14.
Meanwhile, the coalition Together We Win, of Berisha and Meta, ranks second. 31-35% of the surveyed citizens would vote for this coalition.

12 hours of negotiation but 0 result?

International mediators are urging Kosovo and Serbia’s leaders to implement the commitments they agreed at the weekend, but officials in Pristina and Belgrade appear to be interpreting the normalisation plan differently. Read on…

UK March 24, 2023 Albanian PM Edi Rama and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak pledged that their two countries will cooperate on the migration issue during the framework of Rama’s two-day visit to London.
The UK has complained that the number of Albanians arriving illegally in the UK has increased, and since then the country has taken several steps to tackle it.
“The leaders welcomed progress to date, with around 800 illegal migrants returning to Albania since December, action on organised crime and new UK guidance designating Albania a ‘safe country,’” a press release from the UK government noted.
In December, a joint Task Force Against Crime and Illegal Migration was announced in Tirana. The two countries said their law enforcement agencies would work together in fighting organised crime and illegal emigration through the implementation of a readmission agreement between the two countries. Read on…

That´s all for now,

sincerely,

Hans-Georg Nielsen
Albanian Honorary Consul

Comments and suggestions are welcome on hgn(at)albanskkonsulat.dk
PS. This newsletter is mainly sent to relevant Danish and Albanian authorities, to Danes who have shown interest in Albania, to Albanians living in Denmark and to the friends and contacts of the consulate.

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