Albanian PM says Iran cyber op amplifying protests against Kushner-linked development plan

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is vowing to press ahead with a luxury development linked to US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, despite a surge in protests against it there, which he partly blames on an Iranian cyber campaign against the country. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Rama dismissed environmental objections as the result of misinformation and said the development was turning Albania from a country once ignored “where the big capital wants to come and the big investors want to come.” The government says the development would be transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership. But thousands of demonstrators have joined daily protests outside Rama’s office in the capital, Tirana — including on Tuesday — against the planned project that includes hotels, apartments, villas and a marina for yachts. The prime minister said a formal environmental impact assessment has not started, even though work has begun to clear land inside a nature reserve. Asked if he might step back from the project, Rama refused, adding: “Step back from what?” US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (not in picture) at the Kremlin in Moscow, on December 2, 2025. (Kristina Kormilitsyna / Pool via Sputnik / AFP) Albania’s anti-corruption agency has opened an investigation related to the project. The government says the land is privately owned, but rival claims over its privatization have emerged. ‘Your country’s absolutely stunning’ Rama said Kushner’s proposal began by chance. He recalled a dinner in southern Albania with Kushner, his wife, Ivanka Trump, and friends who had stopped in the port of Durres to refuel their boat on the way to Montenegro. Months later, Kushner approached him at a gathering of world leaders and business executives in Davos, Switzerland, and expressed interest in investing in Albania, Rama said. “Your country’s absolutely stunning, and we would like to look for a chance to invest,” Rama recalled Kushner telling him. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama listens to a question during an interview with The Associated Press in Tirana, Albania, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hameraldi Agolli) An investment firm linked to Kushner has been granted special investor status . The luxury project has two components: a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan, a communist-era military base. ‘This is still a planning process’ Work has already begun to clear land inside a nature reserve used , prompting environmental groups to warn of the destruction of long-preserved habitats.