Durrës Port Authority has joined ESPO as an observer member. Port of Durrës is Albania's port of call, accounting for nearly 90% of Albania's total international maritime freight traffic and more than 40% of Albania's total international freight traffic.
ESPO says its Executive Committee welcomed its new observer member at its meeting on 13 April 2021.
“We are very delighted to welcome Durrës Port Authority as an observer member in ESPO. With this new observer membership, ESPO is again strengthening its presence in the Med and Adriatic. I am confident that Port of Durrës’s membership of ESPO will further strengthen the already good relations between the port and many ESPO members, and since Albania is now clearly on its way to accession to the EU, we are very happy to welcome Albania’s premier port in the ESPO family,” says Annaleena Mäkilä, ESPO’s Chair.
"The Port of Durrës is honoured to join ESPO as an observer member. As Albania and the EU are ready to commence accession talks, our cooperation is all the more important. We are committed to becoming an active partner of the ESPO network and count on its unparalleled expertise to help us improve standards of operation, port governance and strengthen the Albanian maritime sector as a whole," says Pirro Vengu, CEO of Durrës Port Authority.
“We are looking forward to working with the Port of Durrës, to inform them about the EU policy on ports, to help them in their preparation to EU accession, to exchange good practices and challenges and to integrate them in our network of port professionals,” adds Isabelle Ryckbost, ESPO’s Secretary General.