Overview
- At Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Giorgia Meloni and Edi Rama signed an intergovernmental agreement and exchanged 15 additional accords.
- The new framework spans economy, infrastructure, defense, security, energy, environment, health, innovation and training, with priorities including Corridor VIII and a UAE-backed renewables partnership with a planned submarine link to Italy.
- Italy’s migration protocol with Albania remains under review by Italian courts and the European Court of Justice, leading to suspensions and delays pending the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum expected in mid‑2026.
- Reception centers in Albania opened about thirteen months ago but are largely underused, with the Shengjin hotspot described as effectively closed and the Gjader facility hosting far fewer people than the initial projections.
- Rome reaffirmed strong support for Albania’s EU accession ambitions, as Italy underscores its role as Tirana’s leading economic partner with trade over €3 billion and roughly 3,000 Italian companies operating in the country.