Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama gave his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni a scarf for her 48th birthday on Wednesday. The six-foot-tall Prime Minister knelt in front of Meloni to give her the birthday gift. He sang ‘Tanti auguri’ (‘Happy Birthday’ in Italian).
The light scarf in shades of gray was the work of an Italian designer who moved to Albania, Rama told Meloni, who thanked him for the gift.
‘Sister’ Meloni
Rama called Meloni ‘sister’. The two government leaders work well together, despite their opposing political beliefs. Meloni is leader of the right-wing ruling party Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy), while Rama heads the Socialist Party of Albania.
Rami: “I’m not that objective when it comes to Italy”
Rami stressed that Italy has often supported Albania, including during a major earthquake that shook the country in 2019. “How can these things be forgotten? It is not a problem of convenience, but of brotherhood. Then I have the problem that I am very pro-Italian. I admit that I am not very objective when it comes to Italy,” said Rama.
Meloni thanks her fans
Meloni, who has been Prime Minister since October 2022, thanked her for the congratulations on her social networks. “Thank you all for the strength and energy you give me,” she wrote to her followers. “As long as you exist, I will continue to do my best to ensure that Italy regains the role in the world it deserves,” the right-wing populist wrote.
Meloni and Rama signed a €1 billion deal with the United Arab Emirates to build a subsea renewable energy link in the Adriatic Sea on Wednesday during the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Last year, Meloni agreed with Rama that some of the migrants Italy intercepts at sea would be taken to Albanian reception camps. However, Italian reception centers in Albania are currently empty due to legal regulatory issues. According to Rama, the empty centers have a “chilling effect”.
Rome wants to keep the centers
Italy’s right-wing government wants to hold on to the controversial shelters despite several legal defeats. Italian courts have thwarted the head of government’s plans several times. Courts have lifted the detention of migrants in camps in Albania twice in a row after they were arrested by authorities in the Mediterranean. They were then transferred to Italy.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
