The delegation of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) has taken part in the “Albania - A Country for Investments” business forum that took place in Tirana, the capital of Albania. The forum was organized by the Meinl Bank and the Albanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The delegation included: EAJC Secretary General Michael Chlenov, Director General Natalia Schmidt, Treasurer Matvei Hutman, and personal representative of the EAJC President, Meinl Bank Director General Peter Weinzierl.

The forum included meeting of the delegation headed by EAJC President Julius Meinl with the Jewish community of Albania, which recently became part of the EAJC and that had been accepted into the WJC at the World Jewish Congress Governing Board session in Berlin, several days prior to the delegation’s arrival in Albania.

Guests of honor included WJC President Ronald Lauder and WJC Executive Vice President Robert Singer. Julius Meinl spoke about the activity of the EAJC. Ronald Lauder offered the Albanian Jews aid in building their community. Lauder and Meinl noted that a Jewish center needed to be opened in Tirana, one that would host educational, cultural, and religious programs. The center will remind the residents and guests of the capital of Albania of how the Jews of Albania and Jewish refugees from neighboring countries had been saved from the inevitable doom of the Nazi persecutions. The President of the Albanian Jewish community Geri Kureta proposed to install a memorial plaque dedicated to this event.

Among those who participated in the working sessions of the forum were the leaders of some of Albania’s economic departments, as well as local and foreign businessmen, including representatives from Austria, Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia. Guests of honor included the Israeli Minister of Energy and Water Silvan Shalom and Ronald Lauder, who spoke as a businessman and a philanthropiist.

Lauder and Meinl met with the highest officials of the Albanian government: President Bujar Nishani, Prime Minister Edi Rama and Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta.

Julius Meinl stresed: “Albania is truly a country for investments: both economic and humanitarian. I am ready to make those investments, both as a banker and as the EAJC President. The participation of Israeli and other foreign investors in the economic development of the country will improve Albania’s international prestige, which will, in turn, reflect well on the state of Albanian society as a whole and on the wellbeing of the Jewish community. I am certain that the membership of the Albanian Jewish community in the EAJC and our tight cooperation will be doubtlessly fruitful both for the community and our Congress.”