In February 2023, Prime Minister Edi Rama and his then Montenegrin counterpart, Dritan Abazovic, announced from Podgorica the project to build a bridge, which would connect Velipoja with Ulcinj.
"It is a project that has an extraordinary value because it will finally connect the two sides of a border that is 300 meters long, as long as the bridge. The project is ready, the challenge is to draft a procedure, it is the first time that two governments will open an international competition with a joint commission. Then the winner will be determined. We will make the project known tomorrow and it will be a truly beautiful and ambitious project," said Rama.
Abazovic was also very enthusiastic about the project.
"It's a little more expensive than we initially thought. I think it will cost 20 million Euros, if it's divided in half it's not too much. We have the point open and the reserve funds for this issue. We have already talked about dividing it and making the payment over several years so that there is no burden on both of our countries," he said.
The Buna Bridge Project
A few months after the project was announced by the two prime ministers, the agreement with Montenegro for the joint construction of the bridge was approved in the Albanian Parliament with votes from the majority and the opposition.
Shortly after, the Buna Bridge was included in the list of priority budget investment projects. According to the document approved by the government, the work would cost 20 million euros and its construction was entrusted to the Albanian Development Fund.
But although Rama declared that the project was ready and construction would begin shortly, things took a different turn. Construction of the bridge never began, and a few days ago, the Albanian government announced the de facto cancellation of the project.
In the latest update of the list of priority projects, which was approved by the government at the last meeting, the bridge over the Buna River no longer exists. The government has removed the project, effectively announcing its cancellation without much fanfare.
Editorial
