During his official visit to Israel, Prime Minister Rama met with President Reuven Rivlin and Parliament Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, with whom he discussed the common challenges against violent extremism, but also the possibilities of cooperation between two countries in areas such as energy, tourism and agriculture. Just like Prime Minister Netanyahu, both senior Israeli authorities expressed deep gratitude for the humanity shown during the Holocaust by Albanians who protected and didn’t release any Jew during the Nazi occupation.
Prime Minister Rama met also with the opposition leader Herzog, and was received in the City Hall of Jerusalem by Mayor Nir Barkat. Mayor Barkat welcomed Prime Minister Rama and expressed his conviction about the possibility of deepening cooperation between our two countries. “For us it is very important to develop our relations, learn from each other and contribute with our experience, with positive experiences for our partners worldwide”, Mayor Barkat said.
On his part, Prime Minister Rama noted that “We live in a country where there are different religious communities having a very special relationship between them. Therefore, it is very enriching for us to share this experience with you, as well as to hear your experience.”
Prime Minister Rama and wife visited the memorial Yad Vashem and honored the victims of the Holocaust. Later on they stopped in some of the holy places in the city of Jerusalem, where they met also with the Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III, the Latin Catholic Patriarch Bishop Fuat Twal. One special moment was the visit to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre of Christ, built by the Illyrian Emperor Constantine. Five Christian communities coexist in this area. Very impressive was also the visit to the Wall of Tears, in the old Temple of Jerusalem, together with the Rabbi of Jerusalem.
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Interview of Prime Minister Rama in Israel:
I am very impressed by this visit, and for the sake of truth, I feel a special emotion to be here as representative of a country like Albania and as the Prime Minister of Albanians, a people who, as you noticed, is considered with a very special respect here.
The hospitality, the attention, the care, but also the desire of Prime Minister Netanyahu and all the dignitaries with whom we met, to further develop relations with Albania are an extraordinary opportunity for us, because this is an extraordinary place, with an impressive development, great knowledge and opportunities to learn and to take advantage of a special relationship such as that between Albania and Israel, and between Jews and Albanians.
The “Declaration of Friendship” is a meaningful expression of this fact, but also an important stone in the wall of friendship revived after a long break because of dictatorship and the ideology of the communist dictatorship in the relations with Israel. Not only in terms of the fight against terrorism and strengthening capacities to enhance security, but also in terms of a range of other areas.
I believe that thanks to the support of the Israeli government, we will make together significant developments in the water sector and its management, where Israel is a world champion in a literal sense of the word. Although it is a country that doesn’t have the water resources that Albania has, it is impressive how Israel has managed to use salt water, desalinating it, and also how it has processed wastewater.
On the other hand, it is also important what we can do together in the field of direct investment. We are finalizing an important agreement to have in Albania the largest Israeli group in the oil and gas sector, the “Delek Group”, who I believe, starting from next year, will begin to explore in the territory of Albania a number other areas such as tourism and agriculture, for which investors here have shown a special interest.
What this agreement conveys is the fact that there is a great will, like everybody here in this country noticed, to develop a real partnership with Albania in all fields, from security, the economy and support for our capacity building in the fight against any form of terrorism, to the direct investments from Israel.
It is true that the meeting was prolonged beyond the time foreseen, and I believe that it came as a result of the desire of the Israeli Prime Minister to express and reiterate, to highlight and underline the readiness of the Israeli state and people to be closer with Albania and the Albanians, since he repeatedly said that Israel does not forget its friends, and Albanians are ranked amongst the very special friends of Israel. This was the leitmotiv of the visit.
Regarding the issue of Kosovo, it is clear that the Israeli position is not directly related to Kosovo, but to the complexity of a situation since the creation of the Israeli state in relation to Palestine. I believe that this is an issue that will go hand in hand with the issue that connects the vote of Israel with the recognition of Kosovo.
