{"id":108577,"date":"2025-05-17T08:41:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T08:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/108577\/"},"modified":"2025-05-17T08:41:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T08:41:26","slug":"albanian-pm-kneels-to-greet-italian-pm-giorgia-meloni-at-eu-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/108577\/","title":{"rendered":"Albanian PM Kneels To Greet Italian PM Giorgia Meloni At EU Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kneeling to greet Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and gripping France’s Emmanuel Macron in a bro hug, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama hosted Europe’s leaders Friday with his showman’s panache undampened by torrential rain.<\/p>\n

Fresh from securing a fourth term at the weekend — after campaigning on a pledge to take Albania into the EU by 2030 — Rama made plain his delight in welcoming counterparts from the bloc and beyond, as he basked in his resounding reelection win.<\/p>\n

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Giorgia Meloni truly commands the utmost respect of world leaders. This is quite the sight to see. pic.twitter.com\/xBp3d0Qi7j<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Joey Mannarino \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@JoeyMannarinoUS) May 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A larger-than-life figure towering two metres (six-foot seven-inches) tall, Rama had a word and a smile for each of the more than 40 leaders attending the meeting of the European Political Community (EPC).<\/p>\n

From Tirana, “where all of Europe has come today and where the whole world will be watching, I say hello to you”, the prime minister wrote on Instagram ahead of the gathering.<\/p>\n

The show began with Edi Rama twirling a navy blue umbrella on a bright red carpet, with the EPC’s star-shaped logo adorning his necktie and trademark sneakers.<\/p>\n

When Meloni arrived, he knelt playfully to the ground — as he often does for his Italian “sister” — while making a point of escorting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the opera building where the leaders were holding talks.<\/p>\n

Greeting Macron, Rama quipped “Here’s the Sun King” — as the clouds parted and the pair hugged before walking inside.<\/p>\n

After days of sunshine in Tirana, Rama had a punchline for the British in attendance as well — suggesting they may have had a hand in the dampening turn of events.<\/p>\n

“There was a suspicion but it became scientific proof from the European weather forecast institute that the persisting — and not indigenous — rain was brought by the British delegation yesterday morning,” Rama told leaders.<\/p>\n

‘Welcome to Albania’\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The brainchild of Macron after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the EPC gathering brings together the members of the European Union and 20 other countries.<\/p>\n

Ukraine was the dominant issue at the gathering, taking place in the weighty context of meetings between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul, as well as the question of migration.<\/p>\n

But before the serious talks began, Rama did everything to underscore his love of Europe.<\/p>\n

“It’s true that I am the tallest among them, but I lead a country that is one of the smallest, and for us it’s already a big honour to have the opportunity to host this summit,” Rama told AFP on Thursday.<\/p>\n

And a relative rarity in the staid setting of European diplomacy — leaders were greeted with an opening sequence that drew laughter and big smiles from the crowd.<\/p>\n

On a giant screen, the hosts projected AI renditions of each leader reimagined as babies, some still with beards and spectacles and each declaring: “Welcome to Albania.”<\/p>\n

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/p>\n