TIRANA, December 30 – At the year-end conference, Prime Minister Edi Rama presented the government record for 2025. He outlined priorities for the coming period, focusing on economic growth, education reform, tourism, infrastructure, and national defense.

Rama first announced measures to reduce cash use in the economy. He said businesses in tourism and transport had to provide electronic payment options by June next year. He added that all businesses nationwide would follow the same requirement within the following year.

Meanwhile, he addressed education reforms. Authorities reported that 350 schools had received smart laboratories. Rama said the government aimed to reach 1,000 laboratories by 2027. Officials continued school construction and launched a school transport project using domestically produced vehicles. The Prime Minister emphasized that these actions were part of a broader plan to modernize public services for citizens and visitors.

Later, Rama discussed economic performance. He cited a report by the American Cato Institute. The report indicated that Albania ranked 39th globally for human and economic freedom and 9th in Eastern Europe. He added that the country ranked ahead of Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, and Greece in economic freedom.

In addition, Rama said that economic growth reached 3.9 percent in 2025. He highlighted increases in foreign investment and wages. He confirmed that a 500-euro minimum wage was introduced in both public and private sectors.

Turning to vocational education, Rama said 63 percent of graduates had found employment. He noted that public debt declined and the economy remained stable.

The Prime Minister then focused on national defense. He said 2025 marked the revival of Albania’s military industry, which had been dismantled in the early 1990s. He stressed that every country needed a domestic industrial base and noted that Albania had begun building one.

Rama highlighted a positive trend in youth engagement with the Armed Forces. He added that the government aimed to increase active personnel by 30 percent by the end of the current mandate. He also said the Albanian army became the best-paid in the region, including compared with Serbia.

Furthermore, he explained that Albania had become a producer of military capacities for domestic use and export. The Prime Minister highlighted the start of producing “Made in Albania” military uniforms. They would first equip Albanian forces and later serve other countries. He added that authorities planned to produce armored vehicles.

In addition, Rama said Albania acquired a Javelin missile system. He explained that the system strengthened the country’s defense capacities and aligned military standards with the highest international norms.

/a.p./