Albanian Prime Minister Defends Luxury Project Linked to Jared Kushner

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Tuesday he will continue with a luxury development project linked to Jared Kushner despite ongoing protests. Rama told the Associated Press that the project would shift Albania from a country once ignored by investors into one where large capital and investors want to participate.

The government stated the development would help the former communist nation enter the high-end tourism market and support its European Union membership bid.

Thousands of demonstrators have gathered daily outside Rama's office in Tirana against the project, which includes hotels, apartments, villas, and a yacht marina. Environmental groups have warned that land clearing inside a nature reserve used by migratory birds threatens preserved habitats.

Rama said a formal environmental impact assessment has not started because the development plan remains in the planning stage. He noted that international architects and environmental specialists continue to shape the proposal.

An investment firm linked to Kushner received special investor status from Albanian authorities. The project covers a coastal area in the Narta Lagoon wildlife reserve and a smaller resort on the island of Sazan. Albania's anti-corruption agency has opened an investigation into the project.

The government maintains the land is privately owned, though rival claims over its privatization have surfaced. Rama described how the proposal began when Kushner expressed interest during a meeting in Davos, Switzerland, after an earlier encounter in southern Albania.