TIRANA, November 6 – Prime Minister Edi Rama met with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday where they signed a cooperation agreement for ‘the fight against illegal traffic and the reception of refugees’.
During the press conference with Meloni, Rama said that this agreement comes at a difficult moment for Italy, while emphasizing that the latter has become a place of welcome for Albanians.
“We would not make this agreement with any other country or EU country, with all due respect, but there is a connection between Albania and Italy and Albanians and Italians. I do not believe that we shall be able in years to come to repay the debt we owe to Italy to the people and institutions of Italy for what they have done for us from the day we arrived on this side of the sea coast to find support Rama said.
According to him, in this case, this agreement is about helping and managing a situation that is difficult for Italy. “The truth is that geography has turned into a curse. Albania has a history of hospitality. It is a place where thousands of Italians have found protection by Albanians,” said Rama.
For her part, Italian PM Meloni revealed that a center for the reception of refugees will be set up in Shengjin, which will be under the jurisdiction of Italy. This center is expected to be ready next spring. “The Albanian side will deal with the readiness of control, observation and this protocol that we are signing today has a legal framework… Other agreements will follow later. We aim for the center to be operational next spring. I am very satisfied with the work we have done with Prime Minister Edi Rama,” said Meloni. /argumentum.al
