Trump Family’s Controversial Luxury Real-Estate Projects in Albania

Luxury Real-Estate Ventures by the Trump Family in Albania

Two ambitious luxury real-estate projects in Albania, spearheaded by the son-in-law of former President Donald J. Trump, are reigniting long-standing tensions within the country. The Trump family is facing serious allegations that the land earmarked for their developments has been improperly designated for their use.

The controversies revolve around a staggering $1 billion in investments being pursued by Ivanka Trump, the former president’s eldest daughter, alongside her husband, Jared Kushner. These ventures are situated along the picturesque Mediterranean coastline of this Southern European nation, on land that was once under the control of a Communist regime.

Mr. Kushner has revealed plans to construct a luxurious hotel and beach villa complex on a prime stretch of the mainland, where a local Albanian family has cultivated the land for generations. This family asserts that a portion of their property was wrongfully seized under dubious circumstances following the fall of the Communist government in 1991. Bledar Alexandros Konomi, a member of the family, expressed their plight: “They are trying to take from us what is ours,” a sentiment echoed by numerous court records that support their claim.

In addition to the mainland project, Mr. Kushner is also pursuing exclusive development rights for a strategically significant small island known as Sazan. This location was historically utilized by the Soviet Union for military supplies during the Cold War. Notably, what remains undisclosed is the existence of an alternative proposal for the redevelopment of Sazan, submitted by an Albanian-American real-estate executive based in New York. This competing development plan, detailed in documents obtained by The New York Times, adds another layer of complexity to an already contentious situation.