Over 110 new and modernization projects, worth over 15 billion euros in public infrastructure alone, are expected to be presented at the Balkan Summit 2026, which will be held on October 19 and 20 in Pristina.
The projects include Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia, while the aim of the summit is to present these three markets as a common investment platform, with the aim of attracting international companies, financiers and development institutions.
The organizer of the summit, Driton Dalipi, said that the focus of this organization is the concretization of projects and the creation of partnerships between public institutions, implementing companies and financial institutions.
“Because this is how serious investors see this region. Our markets, individually, are small, and a global contractor or a development bank will find it difficult to justify market entry costs for just a few projects in one country. But when we unite Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia, we have a significant portfolio of projects, common corridors and a single logic. We are not asking investors to discover three small markets. We are offering you a single regional market with three entry points. Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia and Bulgaria may join future Balkan Summits“, says Dalipi.
In an interview for KosovaPress, Dalipi emphasizes that the summit aims to serve as a platform for concrete agreements, identifying projects that are ready for implementation, those that require further preparation and partners that can take them forward.
Focus on projects The Balkan Summit is conceived as a platform for reaching agreements, not just as a platform for discussions. We bring together the ministries and public institutions that are responsible for the projects, the companies that can build and operate them, and the financial institutions that can finance them. The question we want each session to answer is simple: What is ready? What still needs preparation? And who can take it forward?”, says Dalipi.
He added that the goal is for each session to help determine the next steps for the projects and to clarify which of them are ready for investment. Until it shows how many sectors are involved.
“The breadth of fields included is intentional. Transport, energy, water and digital infrastructure do not exist in isolation from each other. A data center needs power. Energy needs grid connection. While the industry needs roads, railways and skilled manpower. When we consider together transport, environment and water, energy and data centers for artificial intelligence, the tourism industry, digital services and the agriculture and food industry, we understand how one investment strengthens the rationale of another investment. This is exactly where the regional value lies“, Dalipi emphasizes.
He estimates that treating these sectors in an interconnected manner can create greater opportunities for investment in the region.
“These institutions are essential, but we are cautious about expectations. Institutions such as the World Bank Group, the American Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the German bank KfË and the French Development Agency (AFD) bring experience in project preparation, risk sharing and blended financing. Their presence helps everyone understand what makes a project eligible for funding. However, this is not a promise to finance any particular project. The possibility of financing a project still depends on economic viability, a clear legal framework and proper preparation. And that’s exactly the conversation we want to have.“, adds Dalipi.
Speaking about his experience in development projects, he says that more than two decades of work with the European Union, the World Bank and USAID have influenced the conception of the summit, especially in understanding the challenges that projects face from the planning stage to implementation.
“This approach defines everything. Two decades of experience in implementing donor-funded programs learn how projects move from idea to implementation and where they get stuck during this process. We know the language of ministries, contractors and financiers. We also know that credibility is built through concrete results, not through announcements. Our ISO certifications reflect the same discipline. Quality, information security, operational sustainability and sustainable development are not just slogans for us. They represent the way we work“, underlines Dalipi.
As for the continuity of the initiative, Dalipi announced that the plan is that after the first edition in Pristina, the summit will be held in Tirana in 2027 and in Skopje in 2028.
According to him, the rotation of the hosts aims to give the participating countries opportunities to lead the platform and continue discussions on projects and partnerships started in previous editions.
“Prishtina is the host of the first edition, but not the only one. Our plan is for Tirana to host the summit in 2027, while Skopje in 2028. Montenegro may join the initiative in a future edition, depending on the agreement with our partners. The rotation gives each country ownership of the platform and provides investors with continuity. The relations that are created in Pristina should be transformed into concrete discussions about projects in Tirana and then result in the signing of partnerships. Our message to the governments of the region is clear: demonstrate goodwill and build a lasting capital of trust by actively engaging now, knowing that their turn to host and lead this initiative will surely come.“, he says.
Dalipi said that the success of the Balkan Summit will not be measured by the number of participants or panels, but by the results that will be achieved after its completion.
“Success is not measured by the number of participants or panels. The real measure is what happens three, six or twelve months later. Which projects pass the stage of serious evaluation? What partnerships are created? And which investments reach implementation? If the summit helps even a few powerful projects cross this threshold, then it will have fulfilled its mission“, concludes Dalipi./KosovaPress./
