ALBAWABA - Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with a playful and theatrical gesture on Friday as she arrived in the Albanian capital to attend the sixth summit of the European Political Community, an informal forum that brings together 47 European states.
Israeli airstrikes kill two, hit southern Lebanon towns in escalation beyond ceasefire linesRama put down his umbrella and knelt down in front of Meloni as she exited her vehicle, his hands joined together in a gesture reminiscent of prayer. Meloni responded with a lighthearted remark after seeing the scenario on video: "You need to stop that, Edi." Later, she joked with reporters, "He only does it to be as tall as me," mocking their obvious height difference—Meloni is 1.63 meters tall, while Rama is over two meters.
This is not the first time that Rama has greeted Meloni in this way. As a birthday gift, Rama knelt down in front of her in Abu Dhabi a few months ago and handed her a scarf.
The two presidents' close political and personal ties are shown by their recent bilateral cooperation. With support from the Italian government, two controversial migrant processing facilities have been constructed in Albania: a repatriation facility in Gjader and an unutilized facility in Shengjin. Meloni has said that during her visit, she will not be visiting either place.
The visit comes only days after Albania hosted the 2025 Giro d'Italia, Italy's premier cycling event, sparking media speculation about a political favor between the two nations. Even while no official link has been confirmed, the symbolic move highlights the expanding political and cultural relations between Tirana and Rome.
