Prime Minister Edi Rama hosted Thursday the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is visiting the southern Municipality of Dropull upon invitation of PM Rama.

PM Rama and his Greek counterpart Mitsotakis were extended a welcome by the local Greek minority members. The government head described the minority as an irreplaceable bridge linking the two countries.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama: I had promised to bring the father’s son and here he is and it is really a moving experience for me too, although I am not a member of the minority, to be here today almost 30 years after the first and the last Prime Minister of Greece stopped over to meet his minority brothers and sisters.

He was the late father of the current Prime Minister who, for the sake of the truth, accepted this invitation with evident pleasure. We were supposed to come here just a day after the EU-Western Balkan Summit in Tirana on December 6, but extreme weather conditions forced us to postpone this visit, but it was probably better so, because I don’t think there could be a more beautiful day to come here than on Christmas Eve and, most importantly, I would like to thank all the Derviçan residents, as well as the Mayor who, together with you – and I don’t know how you made it happen – made sure that the sun shines so beautifully today.

Thank you very much for wonderful hospitality. Of course this is all meant for the visiting Prime Minister, yet I can’t help but avail myself of this opportunity so that I can also enjoy this view with you all coming together at this small square to show the Prime Minister all the beauty of the hospitality here and, at the same time, to celebrate this important moment.

I will cut my remarks short, but I would like to underline that the minority is for us an irreplaceable bridge of the unbreakable connection between our two countries and expressing first my gratitude, I would also like to salute all those citizens, like you, of the Republic of Albania with Greek citizenship, but who they have given a lot, not only to this community, but also to the country and who, thanks to the freedom and opened borders after a long time of isolation, can now travel freely on both sides of the border and I am very glad that this community representatives are some of the most important stakeholders in the Albanian entrepreneurship and our national economy.

I am now very pleased to give the floor to the Prime Minister. Dear Kyriako, this is your day. As you might have noticed I am somehow playing the organizer’s role taking care of the moves, the pictures and all these sort of things, because it is really an honour to welcome you here and the floor is yours, because they have gathered here for you, they never do in such huge numbers when it comes to meeting me. However, we have something in common; we all consider you a friend and a brother here in our land!

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I would like to add something else. Together with the Mayor, I promise before you and before the Prime Minister that we have prepared the Urban Renaissance design to transform the main square here that will be named after the Prime Minister’s father and his statue will be place here to honour him and Kyriako will have to visit the area at least five times and therefore he would have to win the elections again. As a friend, he can visit and come here anytime he wants to do so, but no statue if he is not in the office of the Prime Minister. And second, we are looking forward to welcoming Kyriako on his father’s anniversary and I want you to promise that you will join us here to inaugurate together – because I will continue to be a Prime Minister – the square and placement of the memorial of your late father in this area!

Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Greek minority is a bridge of cooperation between the two neighbouring countries. If this was the case 31 years ago, the more so now and you should know that we have established close cooperation with Prime Minister Edi Rama. We know, we are aware of the problems that preoccupy you and we will put them on the path to solution through a spirit of cooperation, positive predisposition. You all know the Greek state’s support to all the Hellenic citizens in your land. Consider this a fact.

The subsidy issue for the older people is heading towards a final solution.

The same is happening with the diachronic support we are providing to the young people attending Greek universities and the schools in the areas where the mother tongue is taught and I am happy to see kids growing up and learning their mother tongue along with the Albanian and English language.

We want to work hard for these children so that they can stay in their country, be provided the opportunity to create and achieve success in their country and for the Greek minority to have a perspective.

My dear friend, Edi,

I know that a lot of work has been done and we worked hard to accelerate Albania’s European perspective and it is not a coincidence that two national flags, the Greek and Albanian flags respectively are raised here, and the EU flag is waving between them. The reason, Albania’s EU integration path won’t be easy, but it would be accelerated, because it is worth it that Albania becomes part of the EU. You will benefit from this development.

I would like to state that my visit to these two minority municipalities, in Himara too, is an emotional visit, because I really care about the Greek minority and I will do whatever in my power to help and support you.

I am also pleased to be accompanied by friends from Greece, who have come from Ioannina.

I am saying this because we can do a lot more to develop both areas and therefore we are working on environmental protection issues, like the Vjora River that starts in Ioannina, and stretches through Albania and it is the only wild and dam-free river in Europe and both governments of Greece and Albania wish to protect it.

In addition to the friends from Greece, it is a pleasure that I am also accompanied by one of you, Mr Pirro Dhima, who has so many times lifted Greece over his shoulders, honouring our country in Olympics, and he is overwhelmed with emotions for returning to his motherland and seeing so many people gathering here.

To conclude, I would like to tell my friend Edi, because we are both politicians and we have both attended conferences and meetings, but I can’t gather so many people when addressing a meeting in Greece too.

I would like to thank you and I really appreciate your presence here!