Strengthen long-term partnerships and relaunch friendships that transcend all political dynamics and also concern the “merely” personal realm. This is the goal set today in the meeting between Giorgia Meloni And Eddie Rama held in the beautiful location of the Villa Pamphili in Rome, on the occasion of the first intergovernmental summit between Italy and Albania. The Italian Prime Minister received the Albanian Prime Minister for a bilateral meeting which was then followed by a plenary working session with the respective government delegations. The Italian team consists of ministers Tajani, Piantedosi, Nordio, Crosetto, Pichetto Fratin, Giuli, Schillaci, Musumeci and deputy ministers Freni and Ferrante.
During the meeting, the two heads of government signed the agreementintergovernmental agreementwhich will be followed by the exchange of fifteen other agreements – including bilateral agreements and technical protocols – with the aim of achieving “quality leap in cooperation” between the two countries. It all started from the issue of migration, with a memorandum of understanding signed in 2023 that led to the construction, on Albanian territory, of a center for migrants rescued at sea by Italian ships. This agreement ended under the close supervision of the courts and the European Court of Justice, with appeals that have suspended or postponed its implementation, pending a decision “Migration and Asylum Pact” which will come into force in mid-2026 and will officially establish a list of safe countries.
The two delegations also discussed the main priorities of the European and international agenda, starting from consolidation of Italy’s role in the Balkans and the Mediterranean. To make a “qualitative leap in cooperation” between the two countries, the Villa Pamphili Summit also highlighted economic and infrastructure collaboration, defense and security collaboration, cooperation in the fields of energy and the environment as well as synergies in the fields of health, innovation and training. Additionally, in the energy sector, a three-way Italy-United Arab Emirates-Albania agreement is already active, signed last January in Abu Dhabi, for the production of renewable energy in Albania and the construction of a submarine interconnection to Italy. Among the priority projects are European Corridor VIIIwhich aims to connect the Adriatic Sea with the Black Sea.
And finally, strengthening Albania’s image in Europe, the candidateentry into the EU with the full and confident support of Rome. This process is actually still sponsored by the Italian government, especially considering that the final round of negotiations will soon open. As Meloni stated at the European Political Community Summit last May in Tirana, the expansion of the EU to the Western Balkans”this is a strategic investment for European security“.
A concept was also reiterated today, with the Prime Minister urging the acceleration of this process to provide “a real signal to the countries that are doing their best to be part of our family“. Words that Rama could not help but appreciate.
