Sali Berisha, the current prime minister and former president of Albania, reiterated Tirana's commitment to sustainable development and renewable energy projects.

Speaking at the opening session of the UN General Assembly, Berisha maintained that the global economic crisis has given small countries like Albania an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of more developed countries who have been dependent on more traditional forms of energy and therefore vulnerable to rising oil costs:

"With this in mind, we are determined to turn Albania into a small superpower of renewable energy in the region," he said. "With its rich water resources, Albania resembles a small Norway in the Balkan Peninsula."

Berisha said that the government has already signed 220 contracts with the private sector to build hydroelectric plants. A total of 450 hydroelectric plants are expected to be built in the country.