Prime Minister Edi Rama is in Budapest, Hungary, today to participate in the fifth meeting of the European Political Community, alongside 47 heads of state and government from across Europe. The participating leaders will discuss security challenges facing Europe in a plenary session, followed by four main sessions focusing on migration and economic security. The migration session will cover all aspects of migration, while the economic security session will also discuss the interconnections of energy, transport, IT, and global trade.

At the start of the plenary session, Prime Minister Rama responded to questions from the attending media.

Media Questions:

What are the objectives of the next summit of the European Political Community in Albania? Is climate change one of the issues on the agenda?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Yes, we are taking over the responsibility for the next meeting of the European Political Community, which will be held in Albania in the first half of the coming year, and certainly, there are many things to discuss. Climate change is omnipresent and at the forefront of European countries’ priorities, but there are also other issues to discuss. We are very proud to have the opportunity to host this meeting.

Question about the election of the new President of the United States.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: In my understanding, there has been a lot of excitement, perhaps not in the right way, about his possible return. My experience tells me that when he was president, everyone said that NATO would become weaker, but NATO became stronger. So, let’s wait and see, and let’s not become hysterical before we see the reality. The United States is the United States, and I don’t think this will necessarily be something bad for Europe. It could actually be very good for Europe.

What will you say to Zelensky today when he arrives?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I’ve already said it to him, and I think it’s not necessarily something to be worried about because of him, but something to reflect on, to do much more to have a much stronger Europe. When he was first elected, everyone was trembling because maybe NATO would come to an end, but NATO became stronger. So, I don’t think what has happened in the United States is something we should see as worrying. On the contrary, it could be a great opportunity to do things differently for us and for the world.

What about the stability in Germany with the collapse of the coalition?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Listen, I am the Prime Minister of Albania. I am the tallest among them, but I represent a small country, so it’s not my place to think about all the big things. For Albania, it doesn’t mean anything because nothing changes. Albanians are the most pro-American community in Europe, so whoever is in the White House doesn’t make a big difference because the United States is the United States. So, we are much less affected by these kinds of emotions because, for us, it’s the same thing.

How do you see the proposal for the migrants?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Ask Giorgia, she is coming soon.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I am the longest-serving among them, but I represent a small country, so it’s not my job to speak about such big issues, like what is happening in Germany or the United States. But in the end of the day, I believe that Germany, the United States, and all these big countries are strong enough to overcome such situations, and maybe, in some way, this will help the Germans do more, and perhaps also understand that they have a big country.

I believe what has been said, what has been discussed intensively before the European elections, went too far, and meanwhile, what happened with the elections in the United States could be an opportunity to reshape many things, to look at the world a little differently, to see Europe differently, because Europe is getting older. It needs more energy, fewer regulations, and perhaps this is an opportunity to move things forward.

I believe that the US is stronger than anyone who is in the White House, on one hand, and on the other hand, as I said, what has happened in the United States could be very good for Europe.