Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama made a thoughtful gesture to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on her 48th birthday, presenting her with a beautiful scarf, while getting down on one knee to serenade her with a happy birthday song, “Tanti Auguri”, When he was present. World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
What made this gift even more special was that the lightweight scarf was designed by an Italian designer who relocated to Albania, reflecting the strong cultural ties between the two countries.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama knelt before Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her visit to Abu Dhabi, presented her with a scarf as a birthday gift and addressed her as “Your Excellency”.
She also tried placing the scarf on her head like a hijab. pic.twitter.com/QSqEuuBexM
– kos_data (@kos_data) 15 January 2025
Despite their differing political beliefs, with Meloni leading Italy’s right-wing Brothers and Rama leading Albania’s Socialist Party, the two leaders have maintained a good working relationship. This became clear when Meloni struck a deal with Rama last year to send some migrants picked up at sea by Italy to detention centers in Albania. Although the centers are currently inactive due to legal challenges, the agreement reflects the willingness of the two leaders to cooperate on key issues.
The World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi served as an important backdrop for the meeting between Rama and Meloni, as it highlighted the growing importance of renewable energy in the region. In a major breakthrough, Italy, Albania and the United Arab Emirates signed a landmark deal worth at least 1 billion euros ($1 billion) to build a subsea interconnection for renewable energy in the Adriatic. This ambitious project is expected to play a vital role in promoting sustainable energy solutions and reducing carbon emissions in the region.
As the two leaders continue to work together on key issues, their cooperation is likely to have a positive impact on the region, leading to greater cooperation and understanding between the nations.