Trump’s son-in-law rejects allegations of preferential treatment, outlines plans for a €4 billion investment and addresses environmental concerns over the Zvërnec development.
Tirana Times, October 09, 2026 – Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, has issued his first extensive public defense of a controversial luxury tourism development in southern Albania, rejecting allegations of political favoritism and arguing that the proposed project could bring billions of euros in investment while meeting high environmental standards.
In a detailed statement released Thursday in response to an investigation by The New Yorker, Kushner said his business partners had purchased land near Zvërnec for €230 million in a private transaction, rather than receiving it from the Albanian government. He said the development, if approved and successfully completed, could generate approximately €4 billion in investment and create substantial economic opportunities.
Kushner’s response comes amid months of protests over the proposed development near the environmentally sensitive Vjosa-Narta lagoon, alongside questions concerning land ownership, government decisions and Albania’s environmental protection policies.
The controversy has attracted international attention partly because of Kushner’s family ties to Trump and his previous role as a senior White House adviser. Kushner has rejected suggestions that his Albanian business activities were intended to secure political advantages.
Kushner rejects allegations of preferential treatment
Kushner challenged claims that his investment group had benefited from favorable government decisions allowing development in protected coastal areas.
He said the property had been purchased from a private party for €230 million, describing the price as among the highest paid in the region for a comparable transaction. According to Kushner, legal advisers reviewed and verified the property title before the acquisition.
He described the project as a private commercial investment driven by confidence in Albania’s emerging tourism market, emphasizing that investors were committing substantial capital without guarantees of financial success.
Kushner said the investment group had spent more than three years and tens of millions of dollars studying the land, its environmental characteristics and the region’s development needs, while assembling international teams of architects, engineers, designers and environmental specialists.
He identified longtime business associate Asher Abehsera as a partner and chief executive responsible for daily management. Kushner said the Albanian Kastrati business family had initially brought the investment opportunity to his attention.
He also discussed the involvement of Ramez and Moutaz Alkhayyat, businessmen whom he first met in Doha during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Kushner highlighted their experience in Qatar’s construction industry and their success in rebuilding their businesses after leaving Syria, where he said their property had been confiscated under the Assad government.
Kushner described himself as a minority partner without responsibility for daily operations. His personal involvement, he said, has focused primarily on the project’s architectural vision, design and selection of international partners.
He emphasized that the investment was intended to create more than a luxury resort, describing it as an opportunity to stimulate long-term economic activity and strengthen Albania’s position as an international tourism destination.
Addressing suggestions that the investment might have been facilitated to gain favor with Trump, Kushner argued that the chronology contradicted such interpretations.
He said his interest in the project began in the summer of 2021, when he was acting as a private citizen and before Trump announced his campaign to return to the White House.
Kushner similarly rejected suggestions that Albanian officials approved the nearby airport development at his request. He said the airport project had already received approval when he first became acquainted with the investment opportunity and that its existence was one of the factors attracting him to the region.
His explanation directly addresses allegations of political influence, although broader questions concerning development decisions, environmental protection and the role of public authorities remain part of the debate.
Questions over land ownership remain
Although Kushner maintains that the land was acquired through a legitimate private transaction, the ownership of parts of the proposed development site has faced legal scrutiny in Albania.
In July, Reuters reported that Albanian prosecutors were investigating businessman Artur Shehu, who had sold coastal property to a company connected with the development, over suspicions involving falsified property documents, drug trafficking and money laundering.
According to case files reviewed by Reuters, prosecutors suspected that some land involved had been acquired using forged documents. Shehu has denied the allegations.
Reuters reported no indication that Kushner or his business partners were aware of the alleged irregularities.
Local residents have also challenged ownership claims involving property included in the proposed development area, asserting that land belonging to their families had been improperly transferred to others.
The allegations remain subject to legal proceedings, and no conclusion about the validity of the disputed ownership claims can be drawn solely from the investigations.
Kushner’s assertion that the investment group paid €230 million and obtained legal verification of ownership is an important part of his defense. However, the private nature of the transaction does not independently resolve allegations concerning earlier ownership transfers.
Environmental protection and public protests
Environmental protection represents another major element of Kushner’s response.
He acknowledged that local communities have legitimate questions and concerns about the proposed development and said the investors had engaged extensively with residents in the Vlorë region.
Kushner argued that the project would follow high standards of environmental protection and sustainable design. He said the objective was not simply to construct a luxury destination but to improve the surrounding landscape and enhance biodiversity.
He expressed the ambition of leaving the area greener and environmentally stronger than before development.
Kushner also acknowledged that the project had not completed the necessary approval procedures. He said it would have to undergo all applicable Albanian regulatory and environmental reviews and obtain the required authorizations before proceeding.
Environmental organizations have expressed concerns about the scale of development proposed near the Vjosa-Narta lagoon, an important coastal ecosystem and habitat for migratory birds, including flamingos.
Critics argue that large-scale construction, tourism infrastructure and associated activities could alter the landscape and undermine conservation efforts.
The controversy has intensified amid wider concerns over changes to Albania’s protected areas legislation, which environmental groups believe could facilitate major tourism developments in environmentally sensitive locations.
The Albanian government has defended its policies, arguing that carefully regulated investments can support economic growth while meeting environmental requirements.
Opposition to the Zvërnec project emerged publicly in late May and subsequently expanded into demonstrations in Tirana and other locations.
Initially focused on environmental protection, the demonstrations developed into a broader protest movement known as the “Flamingo Revolution,” demanding greater transparency and accountability in major investment decisions.
Some protesters have also called for Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation, the dissolution of parliament and early elections, turning the controversy into a wider political challenge for his government.
Rama has consistently defended major foreign tourism investments as an important component of Albania’s economic development strategy. His government argues that large international projects can generate employment, improve infrastructure, attract higher-spending tourists and strengthen Albania’s international competitiveness.
Kushner’s assurances about environmental protection address one of the central objections raised by opponents. Whether the proposed development can achieve those objectives will depend on the results of environmental assessments, the final project design and enforcement of applicable regulations.
Sazan Island and Kushner’s broader investments
Kushner’s involvement in Albania extends beyond Zvërnec.
In December 2024, the Albanian government granted strategic investor status to Atlantic Incubation Partners LLC, a company linked to Kushner, for a separate €1.4 billion luxury tourism development on Sazan Island.
The decision, announced publicly in January 2025, came shortly before Trump returned to the White House.
The Sazan project envisages transforming approximately 45 hectares of the former military island into an upscale tourist destination featuring luxury accommodation, residences and recreational facilities.
The strategic investor designation provides advantages such as accelerated administrative procedures and potential access to state land required for the development, subject to legal conditions and further approvals.
The Sazan investment also envisages cooperation with Albanian state entities, including the Albanian Investment Corporation.
The timing of the decision prompted political debate, with critics questioning whether the Albanian government sought to strengthen relations with the incoming Trump administration through its support for investments associated with the president’s family.
Kushner has rejected suggestions that his Albanian investments were intended to obtain political favors.
The distinction between Sazan and Zvërnec is important. The strategic investor designation granted for Sazan concerns a separate development and does not, by itself, establish that the Zvërnec land was transferred by the government or that the two projects have identical ownership arrangements.
The two investments nevertheless form part of a broader effort to attract international capital into Albania’s luxury tourism sector.
Economic opportunities and unresolved questions
Kushner’s response presents the Zvërnec proposal as a substantial private-sector undertaking with potentially significant benefits for the Albanian economy.
He emphasized that investors are committing their own capital and accepting commercial risks, without guarantees that the project will ultimately succeed.
His estimate of approximately €4 billion represents the potential scale of the investment if successfully realized, rather than an amount already invested.
Kushner argues that the development could create jobs, increase tourism revenues, generate business opportunities and strengthen Albania’s international visibility.
He also expressed confidence in Albania and its people, describing the project as a long-term commitment to the country’s economic potential.
At the same time, the controversy raises questions about property ownership, environmental protection, disclosure of contractual arrangements and the transparency of regulatory procedures.
The purchase price, projected investment and anticipated environmental benefits described by Kushner remain assertions by the investors. Their eventual economic and ecological impact cannot yet be independently established.
Nor does the private financing of a land acquisition remove the responsibility of public authorities to assess environmental consequences and ensure compliance with applicable legislation.
Kushner acknowledged that the final decision does not rest with investors alone. Albanian authorities must determine whether the development satisfies the necessary legal and environmental requirements.
He expressed hope that, if approved, the project would become a destination of which Albanians could be proud and that families from Albania and around the world could enjoy for generations.
His first extensive public response provides a more detailed account of the investors’ position, identifying key partners, explaining the reported land acquisition and outlining the economic and environmental ambitions behind the proposal.
It has not, however, resolved the broader controversy.
Ultimately, the project’s future will depend on regulatory decisions, environmental safeguards and the outcome of outstanding legal questions.
For Albania, the debate reflects a wider challenge facing its expanding tourism industry: how to attract substantial international investment while protecting environmentally sensitive areas, respecting property rights and maintaining transparent decision-making.
The post Jared Kushner Defends Controversial Albania Resort Project appeared first on Tirana Times.
