Scarf as a gift

“Tanti auguri”: Albania’s prime minister kneels before Meloni

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni(Bild: Krone KREATIV/AFP APA/AFP/POOL/SIMON WOHLFAHRT)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama presented his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni with a scarf for her 48th birthday on Wednesday. The two-meter-tall prime minister knelt in front of Meloni to present her with 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 had moved to Albania, Rama told Meloni, who thanked him for the gift.

"Sister" Meloni
Rama described Meloni as a "sister". The two heads of government work well together despite their opposing political convictions. Meloni is the leader of the right-wing governing party Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy), while Rama leads the Socialist Party of Albania.

Rami: "I'm not very objective when it comes to Italy"
Rami emphasized that Italy had often supported Albania, including during a severe earthquake that shook the country in 2019. "How can these things be forgotten? It's not a problem of convenience, but of fraternity. Then I also have the problem that I'm very pro-Italian. I admit that I'm not very objective when it comes to Italy," said Rama.

Meloni's thanks to her fans
On her social networks, Meloni, who has been Prime Minister since October 2022, thanked everyone for their congratulations. "Thank you all for the strength and energy you give me," she wrote to her supporters. "As long as you exist, I will continue to do my best to give Italy back the role it deserves in the world," wrote the right-wing populist.

At the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Meloni and Rama signed an agreement worth one billion euros with the United Arab Emirates for the construction of an underwater connection for renewable energies in the Adriatic Sea.

Last year, Meloni agreed with Rama that some of the migrants that Italy picks up at sea will be taken to Albanian reception centers. However, the Italian reception centers in Albania are currently empty due to legal challenges to the regulation. According to Rama, the empty centers have a "deterrent effect".

Italy's refugee centers in Albania(Bild: APA/AFP )

Rome wants to hold on to centers
Italy's right-wing government wants to maintain the controversial reception centers despite several legal defeats. Italian courts have repeatedly thwarted the head of government's plans. Twice in a row, courts overturned the detention of migrants in the camps in Albania after they had previously been picked up by the authorities in the Mediterranean. They were then transferred to Italy.