Protests Erupt in Albania Over Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's $1.4bn Island Purchase
Protests have broken out in Albania in response to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s $1.4bn purchase of the abandoned island of Sazan, a communist-era military base.
In addition to the strip, the couple’s deal also includes a $4.7bn agreement on part of a protected coastal landscape in Zvërnec.
Albania's government has championed the Adriatic coast development as a transformative venture for the nation, aiming to boost its high-end tourism sector and support its bid for European Union membership.
The project on the lush island and stretch of seafront on Albania’s southern coast - referred to by Trump as a “fixer-upper” - has sparked criticism from environmental groups and detractors of the long-serving Socialist Prime Minister, Edi Rama.
The pair discovered the area while on a hike.
“We were on a friend’s boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that’s how we found it,” said Trump. “We swam to the island. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated.”
Below we look at the unique features of Sazan dubbed “Trump island” by angry locals, including its 3,600 nuclear bunkers, unexploded weapons, bomb shelters and miles of tunnels.
Sazan Island is home to at least 3,600 Soviet-style nuclear bunkers built during the Cold War. The mushroom-shaped shelters are situated sporadically across the Island and Kushner has said they plan to incorporate the bunkers into their plans for the tourist resort and that some of the shelters will be preserved.
Because of its military background, experts have warned about the presence of mine-like weapons and other unexploded ordnances dotted across the landscape that will need to be cleared in order for the destination to become safe for visitors.
The 1,400 acre Mediterranean island is also home to at least ten miles of underground tunnels from the Communist era. Several bomb shelters and buildings designed to store military supplies and ammunition are also arranged around the area.
The coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area includes a wildlife reserve and the Karaburun-Sazan maritime national park boasting crystal-clear waters.
The development is to be built within a nature reserve and one of Albania’s most valuable biodiversity areas, a key stopover for migratory birds along the Adriatic coast.
The couple’s real-estate plans for the mega-resort have subsequently drawn major complaints and protests from environmental groups who are worried about the impact the development will have on the ecology of the landscape.
Albania has 450 kilometers (280 miles) of coast that remained largely underdeveloped during decades of communist rule.
Protesters have carried cardboard cut-outs of pink flamingos, one of the protected migratory bird species, at rallies in the capital Tirana.
Since late May, excavators and other heavy machinery have entered the area in order to open access routes, dig into the sand and have begun clearing land among pine trees and installing fencing.
Environmental groups from Albania and elsewhere in Europe condemned the work, with one prominent local group charging that long-protected habitats are being "irreversibly destroyed."
Albania’s state anti-corruption agency has confirmed it opened an investigation related to the project but has not disclosed details.
The government says the land earmarked for the project is privately owned but competing claims have emerged questioning the privatisation, a common dispute on similar deals.
Prime Minister Rama remains committed and says the development would align with Albania’s ambition to become a major global tourism destination.
“Albania should not be a country that fears an extraordinary project like this one, where exceptional partners have come together to invest 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion),” Rama said. “There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here.”
