“The assessment we received from the United Nations as one of the cities with the best economic performance compared to what we inherited encourages us that all together to turn Tirana not only the most important economic pole in Albania but probably the most important economic pole in the whole region of the Balkans too”.

This statement of Tirana’s Mayor in the social networks, on September 6, pushed Faktoje.al to verify what assessment it was about.

In September 3-4, Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj participated in the annual conference Bridge for Cities 4.0, held in Vienna, where, along with homologues and invited personalities, the invitees discussed around a round table about the promotion and implementation of Agenda 2030 for Belt and Road Initiative: Developing Green Economies for Cities, foundation of an urbane platform for the creation of a network to push mutual cooperation.

Faktoje.al contacted the organizers to ask if during the conferences there were evaluations or prizes awarded and – if yes – if one was given to Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj.

In the response Faktoje.al received it was explained that UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) did not distribute any prize or evaluation. “Mr. Veliaj was one of the speakers participating in a Mayors Roundtable and the city of Tirana agreed to support the attached Declaration of Intent as an outcome of the event”.

Based on the response, the statement of Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj will be categorized as untrue.

Faktoje.al