The German company, EMS Shipping & Trading has filed a lawsuit against the Albanian state in the ICSID Court of Arbitration in Washington.

The charge was registered on April 7 and the motive of the lawsuit is the dispute regarding the concession for the Port of Durrës.

Since 2013, this company owns the right to the concession contract to operate the East Terminal in the Port of Durrës, for loading and unloading ships. In the lawsuit against the Albanian state, the German company opposes the new port transformation project, which would make this company move its operation to the new port in Porto Romano. But, according to the Germans, in the absence of the new port, the continuation of the concessionary activity is not certain.

The company still has about 25 years left in the 35-year contract, while its profits in 2021 are calculated at about 1.3 million euros. Base on this profit, the claim for compensation from this trial may amount to tens of millions of euros.

It is also learned that before turning to the Arbitration, EMS had sent a letter to the representatives of the Albanian government, the Assembly and the diplomatic missions of Germany and the EU in Albania, expressing its concerns about the transformation of the port of Durrës.