The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was received by Prime Minister Edi Rama at the premises of the Prime Minister’s Office, where he was awarded the Grand Cordon with Star of Public Recognition — a high state honor in recognition of his unwavering commitment to the strategic relationship between the two countries and his unparalleled contribution to the global cause of peace.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama: Your Highness,

Mr. President,

Dear friends, brothers and guests,

We are deeply honored to welcome you once again.

Your second visit in such a short span of time, and though I must confess not for as long as we would wish, your presence feels like that of a close relative, returning to check if all is well in the family home.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, once said, it is not permitted for a Muslim to avoid his brother for more than three days, and the better of the two is the one who greets first.

You, Your Highness, came to us in that spirit, as the one who greets first, like a beloved family member who, though far away, never lets the ties of affection fade. So now it is also crystal clear who is better of the two of us, if ever was any doubt.

Dear brother, let me say this also on behalf of the people present at this small but very special gathering for us. We first heard of the UAE, then we learned about it, then we came to see it, and then we came to know and appreciate the people who care about it.

To count ourselves among the friends of your remarkable country is not only a great honor for us as a nation, but a source of sincere joy and immense pride for us who represent our nation, and this bond is above all owed to your personal dedication to this brotherhood.

Your Highness, you teach me every day that true brotherhood is not merely declared, it is lived, it is built by walking a shared path, by standing together in truth, by embracing the wisdom of your late father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul shine in eternal peace. We are all creatures of God.

I had the privilege of hearing from you during our very first meeting how your father lived those words during that unforgettable moment when hundreds of thousands of Albanians fleeing ethnic cleansing poured from Kosovo into Albania. You were then a young army officer who landed on the runway your father had opened in the north of our country to allow planes to bring aid for hundreds of thousands of war refugees. You shared how he called you every evening to ensure that the refugees, regardless of religion, were being fed and cared for as equals in the eyes of God.

You, Your Highness, did not merely embrace that lesson in your youth, you became its living embodiment. You turned it into the mission of your life. And you shaped your nation into a luminous standard-bearer of that belief, a country whose moral stature is anchored in its unwavering commitment to universal fraternity and in the fearless conviction that, whatever the cost, this is the only path toward a better world, not in noble words, but in brave deeds.

As another hadith tells us, there is no Muslim who visits his sick brother in the morning, but that 70,000 angels pray for him until evening. And if he visits in the evening, they pray for him until morning, and he shall have fruits from paradise. This hadith does not speak only of rewards in the unseen. It speaks of the comforting presence of solidarity and reminds us that to visit the sick or care for the one in need is to become, for a moment, a bearer of divine mercy. Only God knows the number and power of such angels.                                                                      But what I do know is this. From Kosovo to Somalia, from India to the Maghreb, from the Holy Land to Albania itself, and yes, throughout your own region and across the entire world, your name is heard with respect, is spoken with gratitude, and is remembered with hope.

People of every color, tongue, and faith are thankful to you for appearing close in their darkest hours. Not as a sovereign seeking redemption, but as a brother who refuses to abandon his ailing siblings to the shadows, who walks with them through the valley of war, suffering, despair, extremism, and destruction, bringing not only aid, but something even deeper, the quiet strength of compassion and the relieving certainty that they are not alone.

I’ll never forget that when I came to you after the devastating earthquake that left thousands of families homeless, you took my hand in yours and said, brother, you and your people are not alone. And today, a whole beautiful new neighborhood of more than a thousand apartments stands as testimony that you mean what you say and say what you mean.

As a soldier by profession and by calling, you have chosen to be a brother in arms of peace. I recall your words, in our faith we say, oh God, you are peace and from you is peace. The search for peace is an innate principle, yet principles are effectively realized when they are transformed into action.

Where else, and under whose leadership but yours, could the successor of St. Peter and the followers of the Prophet have come together to sign the document on human fraternity? And how could the Abraham Accords, not only vital to the Middle East, but also inspiring to the world, have taken shape without your courageous commitments and genuine love for peace?

Few may recall it, but the Sunnah teaches that when you love your brother for the sake of God, you should let him know.

A man once told the Prophet, peace be upon him, oh messenger of God, I love that man. The Prophet said, “Have you told him? No. Then go and tell him. And so, he did, saying, I love you for the sake of God. And the man replied, may the one of whose sakes you love me, love you in return.

So today, your Highness, to you, as a brother I want to offer a public gesture of love and fidelity toward you as a bearer of light of reason in a world that increasingly loses it and grows darker by the day.

It may be modest compared to all you have done for us, but it is with profound gratitude that on behalf of the Albanian people, I have the honor of bestowing upon Your Highness the Grand Cordon with Star of Public Recognition.

I know you have received many honors, over 20, of the world’s most prestigious distinctions I have been told, and yet I dare to hope that these Albanian memorabilia may hold a special place among them. The red and black of our ribbon are not only our national colors. They symbolize, above all, the surrender of the self to divine providence in service for others and the blood our brothers gave for this land, which must never be shed in vain.

These same colors inspired a hymn written exactly a century ago by a great Albanian poet, a Christian Orthodox bishop, and prime minister.

‘’A flag that gave rise to Saint Constantine,

Unites the cross and crescent sign,

Proclaims all faiths as King Divine,

A noble banner for humankind. ‘’

The Star of this Order, pointed in shape, draws the seal of our national hero, Skanderbeg, and from the 36 letters of our alphabet. Its design also echoes the Seal of Solomon, Suleiman, the King of Peace, whose spirit and legacy shine in your own leadership. As a father, as a statesman, a global leader, a man of faith, and of deep culture. In short, a guide for humanity.

Your Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nayan, President of the United Arab Emirates. For your steadfast personal commitment to a strategic relationship between our two nations. For your fraternal care in moments of need for our people. For your unmatched contribution to the global cause of peace and multilateral cooperation. And it’s not in the official, but I would add, for humbling everyone with your humbleness.

On behalf of the Republic of Albania, with deep respect and gratitude, I confer upon you the Grand Cordon with Star of Public Recognition.

May God protect you always, and may he bless both of our peoples.

Thank you.