8 years after the tragedy, MoD transfers to the local representatives the remediated area of Gërdec

: Published: Tuesday, 15 March 2016 17:35

Ministry of Defence and Albanian Armed Forces have completed the remediation of over 386 thousand square meters of Gërdec village, Marqinet 1 and 2 villages and Vora.

The Minister of Defence submitted the decontaminated area to the local representatives 8 years after the Gërdec tragedy, in which were killed 26 people and were injured more than 300.

In her speech Minister Kodheli considered this place as “the factory of death” and the loss of human lives as a tragedy that goes beyond the human imagination. “The dimensions of the tragedy were beyond human imagination. The greed of a group of people in power at that time, killed, robbed and then escaped justice. In that warm afternoon of March 15, 2008, were killed innocent children, women and men. And it was also killed the hope for a system of justice that guarantees justice.” – said Minister Kodheli.

Talking about the remediation of contaminated areas by dangerous ammunitions and residues, Minister Kodheli mentioned the determination of MoD and AAF in this process, as well as the support of allies and international partners. “The Albanian Armed Forces have completed the ammunition clearance of all the contaminated area. This process is fully certified for the whole area. Today, the Ministry of Defence submits a decontaminated area to representatives of local government. Also, the Ministry of Defence, having the total support of the allies and international partners, has undertaken a clear reform of consolidation, by reducing maximally the storage warehouses of ammunition, by destroying a significant amount of ammunition reserves and also by remediating the existing hotspots from unexploded ammunitions.

In all this effort to make Albania a safer country, we have been maximally assisted by a number of allied and partner countries and a lot of international organizations. Thanks to the help of the United States, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Kosovo and thanks to their funds and personnel that assisted us in remediation projects, today we walk on a safer ground. Also thanks to the support of the United Nations, European Union, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and several initiatives of regional companies contracted by them, today Albania is a safer country.” – said Mrs. Kodheli, who also thanked all Albanian militaries for their contribution and professionalism shown during this process by calling them as “the most worthy sons of the country”.

Referring to the cause of Gërdec tragedy Minister Kodheli expressed her personal commitment “in cleaning up Albanian Armed Forces from any kind of corruption, trafficking or abuse."

In early February of this year, the Ministry of Defence and Albanian Armed Forces planted one thousand olive trees in Gërdec, in the framework of remediation of this area from ammunitions and in the framework of the action plan undertaken by Albanian Government along the 10 - year moratorium on prohibiting the use of forests.