One question and many problems: ARE THE RUSSIANS INVOLVED IN THE VLORA AIRPORT?!

2026-03-26 17:04:00, Opinione Luan Rama

Vlora Airport has returned to the spotlight, amid uncertainties, partial information, and reports referring to an "official report in the US."

According to these sources, the financial structure where the shares of Vlora International Airport (VIA sh.pk) were attempted to be transferred appears to be linked to an investment fund that also includes exposure to Russian sovereign debt (Russian Foreign Bond).

These could be interpretations. They could also be exaggerations.

But the problem is not simply what is said. The problem is what is not said.

Because when information is lacking, speculation becomes the norm. When the state is silent, it itself fuels speculation.

The Albanian public today lacks the basic information to understand what is really happening with one of the country's most strategic assets.

The terms of the agreements are not clearly known, the ownership structure is not transparent, and there is no complete answer to the potential risks associated with controlling this investment.

And this is not a communication issue. This is a trust issue.

In a reality where public projects are often associated with scandals and suspicions of corruption, lack of transparency is no longer simply a mistake, but a responsibility.

Citizens are not obligated to decipher international fund structures. They have the right to be informed clearly, accurately, and with documents.

The state has the obligation.

Silence is not neutrality. Silence is a loss of trust.

Otherwise, every project, no matter how useful, will live under the shadow of suspicion.

Vlora Airport is not an ordinary investment.

It represents an important economic and strategic node for the country. For this reason, any movement related to its financing, ownership, or control must be in the full light of public transparency.

Because, in the end, the question is not whether or not a fund has invested in certain markets. The question is much simpler and much more difficult:

Does the Albanian state have full and guaranteed control over its strategic assets?

Until this question receives a clear, documented, and credible answer, the debate will continue to be fueled by doubt, and any silence will be perceived as a tacit acceptance of incomplete or distorted information.

But let's return to the question that provoked this article and which is posed in the title:

Are the Russians involved in the Vlora airport?…

How good it would be if the MPs of Vlora took up this question and, based on it, initiated a process of debate sessions in the Assembly and a series of meetings with citizens.

In this way, they would not only shed light on issues related to the Vlora airport, but would also prove to their voters that they know how to perform the duties of an MP. /CNA