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Austria’s Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic
In July 2019, President Alexander Van der Bellen awarded me Austria’s Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic, in the country where my business began.
On 8 July 2019, Austria’s Ambassador to Albania, Johann Sattler, presented me with the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, awarded by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. The ceremony took place at the ambassador’s residence in Tirana.
Why it was awarded
In his remarks, the ambassador spoke about Austria’s place among the leading investors in the Albanian economy and about the part our investments have played in it, from shopping centres and tourism to agribusiness and mining. He also described our role as a bridge between the two countries, and as a regional investor that gives back to the community.
Where my business began
Austria holds a special place in my story. I arrived there as an emigrant and returned home fourteen years later as a businessman. It was in Vienna, in 1993, that I founded Alba-Trade, the company from which BALFIN Group grew, and the experience of building a business in Austria shaped the way we later grew in Albania and across the region.
Our work in Austria continues today, from the wholesale of electronic appliances to new residential developments, and I am confident that the cooperation between our two countries will keep growing in the years ahead.
Read the original report in Albanian on Balkanweb.
