Prime Minister Edi Rama today paid an official visit to Italy, where he was hosted by the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Palazzo Chigi in Rome.

After their bilateral meeting, PM Rama and his Italian counterpart Meloni appeared at a joint press conference, followed by a signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the Republic of Italy and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania on strengthening cooperation on immigration issue.

During his visit, PM Rama was accompanied by several cabinet members. 

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Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni: An agreement that enriches friendship between Albania and Italy, the friendship between our two nations, and it’s a strategic partnership that is certainly built upon the excellent trade and commercial relationships.

Italy is Albania’s main trading partner for exchanges between the two countries.  Our two communities have very excellent, strong relations and that is also materialized with the cooperation on the fight against organized crime. At a meeting we had a month ago, we also discussed ways to launch joint initiatives and steps to tackle migration issues.

Mass illegal immigration is a phenomenon that no EU state can deal with alone, and collaboration between EU states and non-EU states, for now, is fundamental. And the best thing to do is indeed to strengthen cooperation and we have worked together to further strengthen this agreement. The memorandum has three main goals; to combat people smuggling and illegal migration, and to welcome only those that have rights to international protection. Albania will grant some areas of territory, where Italy will create two structures for the management of illegal migrants. They will initially be able to accommodate up to 3,000 people who will remain there for the time needed to process asylum applications and, possibly, for the purposes of repatriation. Albania will provide its support by making available certain areas, whereas Italy will operate the economic and financial part to carry out this selection. Jurisdiction over the centres will be Italian.

The refugees who apply for asylum will remain in these territories and we decide among those who have the rights to international protection and who doesn’t. We are talking about of a flux of around 36,000 migrants a year. The agreement doesn’t include the underage migrants, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups. I would also like to say that I am very satisfied with the work we have done with the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, my friend. And I would like to thank all the cabinet members present here, as well as the embassy, ​​also the Foreign Minister Tajani.

I would like to salute PM Edi Rama, Albania and the agreement may represent a new page in the strategic cooperation and a very happy friendship.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Albania is not a European Union member state, yet it is a country in Europe. We lie in Europe, we are a European state, but we still lack the “U”. However, this doesn’t prevent us from being and seeing the world as Europeans. I would also like to clearly state in the very beginning that we wouldn’t sign such an agreement with no other EU member state, with all due respect for them, because there is a difference, a big difference, a historical-cultural difference and also an emotional one that connects Albania with Italy and Albanians with Italians.

Anyway, as I have already stated in previous occasions; If Italy issues a call, Albania replies. I can’t and I don’t really want to express an opinion on the political merit for the decisions, but we are obliged to always respond and be present to help whenever we can, to lend a helping hand and, in this case, it is about helping to manage and cope with a difficult situation for Italy and the truth is that its geography has turned into what is called a curse for Italy, because once you enter Italy you enter Europe and the EU, but when it comes to management of this flux by the EU, we know pretty how things happen and as far as this is concerned, we lack the strength and capacity to be the solution, yet I think we have the duty, the commitment, the obligation and a capacity to lend a helping hand. 

This Memorandum of Understanding is a product, so to speak, of a long discussion to do the best. It’s not a solution to something we do, because we should do it at all costs, but we believe in it. Albania has a history of hospitality; Albania is the only European country with higher number of Jews after the World War II than before it.

We have also provided aid to the population against Milosevic’s ethnic cleansing. Albania then provided shelter to thousands of Afghan girls and women, doing our part – so to speak – as members of the strategic NATO alliance, and this is another indicator. All those who believed in the new world and did it for them, we could not leave them in the hands of those murderers or the rulers of Afghanistan.

Last but not least, we have given thousands of Iranians the chance to survive. By saying all these, I don’t mean that we can solve the problems of everyone, but we can help. I believe that once we become European Union members, we can list all these characteristics of ours on our path to join the bloc.