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Italy and Albania Sign Broad Cooperation Accords at First Government Summit

Meloni says the Albania migration plan will work once new EU asylum rules kick in, even as a fresh court referral challenges whether Italy could lawfully strike the deal.

Overview

  • Leaders signed an intergovernmental agreement and roughly 16 sector accords covering defense, security, energy, infrastructure, cyber cooperation, civil protection, health, culture and finance.
  • A new referral by the Rome Court of Appeal to the EU Court of Justice questions Italy’s power to conclude the 2023 protocol on migrant centers in Albania, extending legal uncertainty.
  • The Albanian sites remain largely underused, with the Shengjin hotspot effectively closed and the Gjader facility hosting only transfers from other Italian centers after judicial limits.
  • Meloni defended the protocol and said the centers will operate as intended when the EU Pact on migration and asylum takes effect, which is expected in mid‑2026.
  • Industrial and strategic projects advanced, including a Fincantieri–Kayo joint venture to build seven ships at Pashaliman, work on Corridor VIII, an ItalyUAEAlbania renewables and subsea interconnection plan, and delivery of patrol boats to Albania’s coast guard.