Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani met with the President of the Republic of Albania Bajram Begaj in Torre Melissa (KR).
The meeting was an opportunity to highlight the significant progress made towards consolidating relations between Italy and Albania. One of the pillars of this partnership is cooperation on migration issues, following on the bilateral protocol signed in November 2023.
“Bilateral cooperation at the political level is particularly strong and trade between Italy and Albania – amounting to EUR 3.3 billion in 2023 – is solid: all the conditions for further strengthening this extraordinary friendship and for building a common future in the European Union are in place,” stressed Minister Tajani, who reiterated Italy’s convinced support for Albania’s EU accession process.
Tomorrow, Deputy Prime Minister Tajani will take part in the centenary commemoration of the death of Anselmo Lorecchio – an Arbëreshë journalist and intellectual and a key figure in the Albanian renaissance movement – to be held in Pallagorio, near Crotone. He will also have meetings with the Calabrian community of Albanian origin, descendants of Albanian-speaking emigrants who arrived in Italy as early as the 15th century: the Calabrian community is the largest Arbëreshë community in Italy, with over 58,000 people.
