FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A joint meeting between the Albanian and Italian governments will be held on November 13 in Rome, while Italian media have revealed the agenda of the summit, the first of its kind between the two countries.
The joint meeting between the two governments, led respectively by Prime Minister Edi Rama and Giorgia Meloni, is expected to take relations between the two countries to another level, while the heads of government have appeared several times in friendly relations between them, during international meetings held in which they have participated.
What do the Italian media write?
Italy has historically been among the closest European countries to Albania (and not only because of the arrival of the Vlora ship in Bari), however a government summit has never been held between the two countries.
On November 13, Edi Rama and Giorgia Meloni will reverse this trend when they meet at Villa Pamphili, the traditional Italian venue for bilateral meetings. This meeting adds an important dimension to Rome's foreign policy, with a view towards the Balkans and the Mediterranean. Tirana is on the waiting list for EU membership and is taking important steps to fill structural gaps.
Moreover, the two leaders boast a well-established relationship that can only help a political project born in August 1991, when 27,000 Albanian refugees found shelter and a new life in Italy.
Relations between Italy and Albania
What is the current status of relations? Today, both countries can boast of several open projects, including those related to EU enlargement, as well as an interesting bilateral path regarding investments and new opportunities, not to mention the reception centers set up across the Adriatic.
On May 16 of last year, during the meeting in Tirana between Meloni and Rama, a joint declaration was signed on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit, reaffirming their strong mutual interest in further strengthening bilateral relations and aiming for Albania's accession to the European Union.
The two countries have a strong common foundation in the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation of October 13, 1995, as well as the Declaration of Strategic Partnership of February 12, 2010 and the Protocol on Strengthening Cooperation on Migration of November 6, 2023.
The first Italy-Albania intergovernmental summit held in Rome is the natural continuation of this relationship. It will be an opportunity to review bilateral cooperation and agree on further initiatives aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between Rome and Tirana, identifying key sectors such as defense and security, energy, migration, civil protection, health, environment, economic and infrastructural development, and focusing on professional training in each of these sectors of cooperation.
deals
In the defense sector, Italy will provide equipment and technology, as well as naval infrastructure for shipbuilding, while the establishment of a center for the maintenance of naval vessels and the implementation of technical and vocational training initiatives is also envisaged.
In the energy sector, work is underway to expand cooperation based on the trilateral agreement between Italy, the United Arab Emirates and Albania signed in Abu Dhabi on January 15, 2025, which foresees the production of renewable energy in Albania and a submarine interconnection for renewable energy connecting Italy and Albania.
Turning to migration, a joint working group will be established to deepen cooperation in the fight against irregular immigration and to strengthen Albania's maritime patrol capabilities. In parallel, an agreement has been reached to create a "Civil Protection System" in Albania for the transfer of professional expertise.
Moving on to healthcare, the two countries will focus on maternal and newborn health in Albania, with the construction of a neonatology department at the “Koço Glozheni” Public Hospital in Tirana.
Considerable attention will also be paid to economic and infrastructural development, thanks to the framework agreement that officially recognizes Cassa Depositi e Prestiti in Albania as a development financial institution.
This will further strengthen bilateral economic and infrastructure cooperation, including Italian technical support for the creation of the new Albanian Development Bank. In this regard, the joint creation of a trade fair center in Tirana, called "ExpoAlbania", is imminent.
Furthermore, the essential legal framework for expanding relations will be established, namely legal and technical instruments aimed at strengthening cooperation in the maritime economy and the development of projects related to the fishing industry in Albania.
Further strengthening of cooperation between SIMEST and the Albanian National Economic Council will be provided through training and mentoring initiatives for Italian and Albanian small and medium-sized enterprises on mutual market opportunities, promoting partnerships and investments.
Italy's commitment to Albania's accession to the European Union is significant and goes beyond simple goals, as demonstrated by the shared desire to identify specific sectors with high added value to support Albania's accession process to the European Union within the framework of existing pre-accession technical assistance.
Finally, sport is a means of promoting bilateral relations, which this year saw the start of the 108th edition of the Giro d'Italia on May 9.
Lini një Përgjigje