Share the page
Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Government of Albania signed a EUR 120 million policy-based loan to support the country in the implementation of ambitious environmental and climate public policies
In the framework of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s official visit to Paris, AFD and the Government of Albania have materialized a new milestone of their action-oriented partnership. They committed through this policy-based loan a support to key reforms for a green and resilient development, aligned with Albania’s priorities under its Green Agenda and EU accession roadmap.
This financing agreement was signed between Mr. Blendi Gonxhja, Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation, and Ms. Marie-Hélène Loison, Deputy CEO of AFD, in presence of the Albanian Minister of Tourism and Environment Ms. Mirela Kumbaro, Albanian State Minister for Local Governance, French Ambassador to the Republic of Albania Ms. Catherine Suard and Albanian Ambassador to the Republic of France, Mr Dritan Tola and other high officials.
This loan agreement, signed today in Paris, will contribute to support the Albanian government in three ways. It will strengthen the resilience of government and households through a prioritization of public investments, and a strong focus on climate impacts in budget implementation. It will also promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Finally, it will foster environmental protection with carbon footprint reduction through the promotion of the circular economy, the improvement of management of protected areas, and the establishment of a system for monitoring and controlling greenhouse gas emissions. This ambitious “Resilient and green development” program is also supported by a World Bank loan of EUR 110.8 million and by an AFD technical assistance grant of EUR 800,000, implemented by Expertise France.
During the ceremony, Ms. Loison highlighted the importance of this green and resilient development program to achieve the strategic priorities of Albania in the field of climate policies, energy efficiency, green transition, and biodiversity protection toward supporting the EU integration and the green agenda objectives.
Ms. Suard shared also that “This agreement underscores AFD’s unwavering commitment to bolstering Albania on its journey toward EU membership, supporting projects and policies that encapsulate well-being, environmental preservation, and climate action. Today’s signing event does not only highlight our harmonious cooperation to date but also paves the way for an even stronger partnership between Albania and France on climate and environmental issues in the forthcoming years.”