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REL: Inside Sazan Island, Bunkers and tunnels of communist Albania

Politiko 2024-03-31 16:00:48

REL: Inside Sazan Island, Bunkers and tunnels of communist Albania

For many, Sazan Island in Vlora, Albania was a mystery for decades. It was known to be an important military base there before and during the time of communist Albania. From time to time the island is also used for training by the Albanian army and by NATO. But, in 2017, the Government of Albania decided to allow access for visitors from May to October. Attention to this island returned a few weeks ago when the son-in-law of the former American president, Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, expressed interest in building a tourist complex.

When and how to get to the island?

From May to October, a boat trip is necessary to get to Sazan. The journey takes between 20 and 45 minutes. The duration of the trip also depends a lot on the weather. The closest distance between Vlora and Sazan is about 8 kilometers. When the journey begins, the closer the ship gets to the island, the more one notices the old facilities that decades ago were used by the military.

A mini-city was created there, where the officers lived with their families. There was also a school for children. Niko Leraj, a former soldier from Vlora, lived 9 years in Sazan in the 80s. Military exercises and preparations, he says, were the routine of the military on the island.

"Everyday life meant training, preparation and only preparation and readiness for the defense of the homeland, as was the theory ," said Leraj for Radio Free Europe.

"Sazani, being isolated from the land, had no uninterrupted electric light, no running water, neither 24 hours nor with intermittent hours. Sazani had water from a tanker coming from Vlora", said Leraj for Radio Free Europe.

There is still no drinking water or electricity on the island. The island of Sazan has an area of ​​about 6 square kilometers and a coastline with a length of about 15 square kilometers.

What is left in Sazan?

There is a small port in Sazan near which on the day Radio Free Europe visited the island, March 19, two soldiers were seen patrolling. The island has many bunkers. Their exact number is not known. But, they are in every corner of the island. The island has many tunnels, which are not allowed to enter. Their number is unknown. There are many empty military warehouses on the island. Many of them have decades old bottles left. Dozens of damaged buildings can be seen in many parts of the island. None of them seem to be functional. In some places, old and destroyed vehicles are also seen. Radio Free Europe needed special permission from the Ministry of Defense of Albania to enter the island and during the entire visit was escorted by a member of the Albanian army.

What does Trump's son-in-law plan to do?

In the midst of opinions for and against construction in Sazan, in Albania it was confirmed that a company, owned by Jared Kushner, has submitted an application for investment in this island. The application is not yet public, but Kushner himself has released photos of the conceptual plan.

The American company Atlantic Incubator Partners LLC submitted this application through which it expresses interest in investing in Sazan on December 27, 2023. The
 eventual realization of the project raised concerns among environmental organizations in Albania.

"The biggest pressure is with pollution, first of all with waste water... all chemicals and detergents are included in waste water" , said Simo Ribaj from the organization "Green Vision" Network to REL./ REL

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