Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Albania launches international tender to build road segment

TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Albania invited national and international companies on Tuesday to bid on contracts worth up to 6.7 billion leks (US$73 million; euro57.2 million) to build a 30-kilometer (18.6 miles) road to neighboring Kosovo, the Transport Ministry said.

The construction of Kalimash-Morine, 200 kilometers (124 miles) northeast of capital Tirana, will be financed with loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank. Construction is expected to begin within the next few months and end in 18 months.

That is part of the 170-kilometer (105 miles) road linking the Albanian port city of Durres with the Morine border crossing point to Kosovo, the ministry said in a statement.

Kosovo is important to Albania because most of the tourists visiting the western Balkan country are ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and Macedonia as well as expatriate Albanians returning from other parts of Europe.

No comments: