TIRANA, July 14 /ATA/ – Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou stated Wednesday that Prime Minister Edi Rama convinced Albanian people through democratic procedures that he is the future of the country.
Addressing the 23rd edition of the “Symi Symposium”, an annual gathering held under the auspices of Papandreou in Athens, Greece, bringing together top politicians and leading economic players, international thinkers and policymakers and academics, former Greek PM congratulated Rama on his parliamentary election win, noting that PM Rama joined the Symi Symposium for first time right after the Kosovo war “while this event brings all together representatives from Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia to discuss together issues concerning the region.”
“I met Edi when Albanians were finding themselves in a very difficult and polarized situation. I remember that I visited Tirana in my capacity as the then Minister of Greece for Europe and Greece also held the Chairmanship of the Council of Europe. Together with the Polish Minister, who headed the OSCE Chairmanship back then, we travelled to Albania in a first bid to help resolve the internal crisis in the country,” Papandreou said in his opening remarks.
“I can recall I was invited by the then Prime Minister to meet with the cabinet members and the walls were covered with bullet holes,” Papandreou added.
“We held talks with the Minister of Culture, Edi Rama, who spoke in a determined way about what he was and what he wanted to change. This was for me sufficient information to figure out who he is,” he noted.
“I later witnessed Edi Rama’s efforts upon taking office as Tirana’s Mayor, who totally transformed Tirana making it a beautiful city. Now Edi Rama has won his third term in office. This clearly shows you have succeeded in convincing Albanian people through democratic procedures that you are the future, or that they future lies with you and your Socialist Party,” Papandreou stated.
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