The plan to build a hotel, apartments, villas, and a marina is reportedly linked to Jared Kushner, former US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Ivanka Trump, his daughter.

An investment company associated with Kushner has been granted "special investor" status by the Albanian government. The project encompasses two components: a coastal property within the Narta lagoon, a wildlife sanctuary, and a smaller resort on the uninhabited nearby Sazan island, which was formerly a military base.

In a podcast interview this week with David Senra, Ivanka stated that her family discovered the location by chance. "We were boating with friends and stopped for a swim. That's how we found this place. We swam to the island, then just walked barefoot to the top of the hill and were captivated by it," she recounted.

Albanian police use water cannons to disperse protesters in the capital Tirana on 3/6. *AP*.

Albania boasts approximately 450 km of coastline, much of which has remained undeveloped for decades. The Albanian government views the project as a potential transformation for the Eastern European nation, as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and advance its European Union (EU) accession process.

However, the project in southern Albania is facing strong opposition from environmental protection groups and critics of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Opposing groups fear that the country's pristine coastal areas will fall into the hands of powerful investors. The project is situated within a nature reserve, one of Albania's most valuable biodiversity regions. It serves as a vital stopover for migratory birds along the Adriatic coast.

Protesters clash with police in the capital Tirana on 3/6, during an event against the resort project in southern Albania. *AP*.

Since late May, excavators and heavy equipment have appeared in the area to clear roads, dig sand, remove earth amidst pine forests, and erect fences. Public outcry intensified after a video emerged showing an activist being dragged by private security personnel during a protest at the site.

Protesters in the capital Tirana have also carried cardboard flamingo models, representing the migratory birds protected in this area, to advocate for ecosystem protection. A local environmental group has accused long-protected biospheres of undergoing "irreversible destruction."

Opponents of the project suggest Albania should learn from a similar investment case in Serbia. In 11/2025, the Serbian parliament passed a special law to pave the way for a luxury resort complex in the capital Belgrade, replacing a military complex bombed during the Yugoslav wars. That project also received funding from an investment company linked to Jared Kushner.

Just one month later, Serbian anti-organized crime prosecutors indicted four individuals, including a minister, on charges of abuse of office and document forgery to support the project. Kushner subsequently withdrew from the multi-million USD investment plan.

Opponents of the project argue that construction will destroy the habitat of flamingos in the country's south. *AP*.

The Albanian government states that the land designated for the project is privately owned. However, disputes have arisen regarding the legality of the land's privatization process, a common type of legal conflict in the country. The Albanian anti-corruption agency confirmed it has opened an investigation related to the project but has not yet disclosed details.

Prime Minister Edi Rama continues to support the project, stating it aligns with Albania's ambition to become a global tourism destination.

"Albania should not be a country afraid of an extraordinary project like this, where special partners are investing 4 billion euro (over 4,6 billion USD)", he said. "As long as I am in office, this investment will not be obstructed."

Thanh Danh (AP)