Protesters in Albania oppose $1.6 billion resort project on protected coast
Thousands demonstrated in Tirana this week against a luxury resort planned for the Vjosa-Narta delta and Sazan island. Demonstrators cited risks to beaches, wetlands, and migratory bird habitat. The project is led by Affinity Partners and has received support from Prime Minister Edi Rama.
thehindu.comThousands of demonstrators marched in Tirana this week against a $1.6 billion resort project planned for Albania’s Adriatic coast. Protesters carried inflatable flamingos and chanted “Albania is not for sale” while opposing development in the Vjosa-Narta protected area and on the nearby island of Sazan. Police used water cannons after some clashes with demonstrators.
Project details and location Affinity Partners is leading the project, which covers part of the 2.2-square-mile island of Sazan and a stretch of coastline on the Zvernec Peninsula. The area includes beaches, wetlands, and the country’s only flamingo breeding ground.
Renderings posted online in prior years drew limited attention until heavy equipment arrived at one site in recent weeks. Joni Vorpsey, an environmentalist with the NGO Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania, said the habitat supports dolphins, sea turtles, and monk seals.
He described the area as “exactly like a fairy tale” and warned that construction would remove natural features and open the protected zone to further development.
” A White House press spokesperson told NBC News that Jared Kushner is a volunteer and that his private business activities have no connection to the president or the administration. The spokesperson described questions about political favor as a repeated narrative used against the administration for a decade.
Ivanka Trump has promoted the project in interviews since its announcement in 2024. Rama, Affinity Partners, and the firm’s chairman did not respond to requests for comment.
