Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is in Tallinn to participate in the Lennart Meri Conference 2026, was welcomed today to a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, Kristen Michal, at the Stenbock House, followed by a meeting between the two delegations.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, Kristen Michal, delivered a joint press statement:
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Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia Kristen Michal: Welcome to Tallinn. Welcome to Estonia. I’m very pleased to welcome you here exactly one year after you hosted me in Tirana. It was also a warm day, as it is right now in Tallinn.
Albania is a very good ally in NATO and thank you for your contribution to the security of the Baltic region. There are more than 2,000 kilometers between Tallinn and Tirana, but we share the same view. We know that our security is connected. As we move closer to the Ankara Summit, Europe must take more responsibility for its own defense. Russia’s goals have not changed. We see it every day in attacks against Ukrainian people and cities. But Russia is not unbeatable. Together, we continue working for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. And Ukraine belongs to a European family, and so does Albania.
Estonia strongly supports the enlargement of the European Union. We have supported Albania on its European path, and we will continue to do so. Keep moving forward with reforms for the future of your country and your people. If Albania delivers its commitments, the European Union must do the same. Direct flights between Tallinn and Tirana open new opportunities for people, tourism, and businesses.
But we already have a lot in common: cooperation in digital issues and growing interest in artificial intelligence. Estonians’ experience as a digital country shows that technology can reduce bureaucracy and improve public services.
Today, almost all public services in Estonia are online. Our recently launched AI initiative is an important investment into Estonia’s future. It helps grow the economy and increase the value of people’s work. I look forward to deeper cooperation on digital issues and artificial intelligence. Albania has a Minister for Artificial Intelligence. Estonia has clearly some catching up to do.
Dear Edi, thank you again for your visit. Since yesterday, the Albanian flag flies at the NATO Cyber Defense Center in Tallinn. Next year, we will mark 35 years of diplomatic relations between Estonia and Albania. I believe our cooperation will continue to grow even stronger.
This afternoon, we will continue our discussions at the Lennart Meri Conference. Soon, we will meet again at the upcoming EU Western Balkans Summit, and you are always welcome back to Estonia.
Thank you.
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Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama: Prime Minister, dear Kristen, first, let me set the record straight.
When you came to Tirana, it was a rainy day. Because no, it was always warm, but it was a rainy day because Keir Starmer brought it from London. And today is a sunny day in Tallinn because I brought the sun from Albania. So, thank you for giving me this chance to bring some sun here.
But first and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for finally allowing me to visit this city, which I always imagined like a laboratory of the future being written every day. And it’s true that this city is wonderful also because of what has been built in the past.
But I want to simply tell the Estonian people that we have full admiration for them because instead of continuing to live in a museum, they decided to live in the future, and this makes Estonia a shining city on the hill, especially for countries like Albania, which are small and which need these kinds of examples.
I want also to thank you for the very warm welcome. And I must say that I was very surprised to realize that you have very good food here, which is not something one would expect. And in the meantime, thank you for the very helpful conversation and for sharing with me how you succeeded in making what you call a tiger leap and how you are now thinking and working to make the second big leap by responding to the challenges of the new era of AI.
Let me tell you, my friend, that with you, we are not just looking for cooperation, but we are looking for the Estonian blueprint. I’m very, very thankful that you told us that you are ready to welcome our people to come more often and to learn from you and from what you are doing, especially in the education sector, starting with the kids and giving them the tools to bring the country to another level.
So, it goes without saying that we want to ensure that also our path to 2030 is paved with the same innovation that has made Estonia a global brand. We have also mostly 95% of our services online, and we are now aiming to go forward with AI. You mentioned the AI minister. We are more than happy to introduce her to you.
On the other hand, you rightly mentioned that Estonia and Albania are very united, not just by NATO, but by a very firm refusal to let foreign interference undermine our democratic choice of life. We are both two nations that live finally with an eagerness to grasp the future after having been kept for so long in the past, not by their choice, but by the imposition of a regime that we shared until a moment in history.
And we are also very determined to protect what we have. And this makes us not just like-minded nations but makes us natural allies and friends.
So, thank you very much also for continuing to support Albania. We are looking forward to going to the next phase very soon and to continuing by starting to close chapters of negotiations. Our economic ties are growing. You mentioned the direct flight, and I want to tell you that it’s a pleasure to see the number of Estonians tripling since 2030. And I hope that we will extend the season of the direct flight because I want to inform the Estonian people that when you must live in darkness, we still have sun.
So please, use the direct flight also during winter to come and enjoy the seaside. And we don’t have Vladimir Putin sympathy there, so you will feel completely at home. And finally, we want to see Estonian tech innovators looking forward also to Albania’s ICT, renewable energy, and more.
My dear friend, again, thank you so much. I want to guarantee you that it’s not just for the sake of protocol, but it’s really what we all feel.
All our team here is super happy to be here, and we are looking forward to making more together because you have taught us since a long time now, and you tell every small nation around the world that being small is not a limit. So, thank you for that.
