TIRANA, Nov. 3 /ATA/ – Albania’s agreement with Italy on migration will remain in force for as long as necessary, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Tuesday, suggesting it could extend well beyond its initial five-year term.
Speaking in an interview with Euronews journalist Maria Tadeo at the Euronews Enlargement Summit, Rama was asked about the future of the migration agreement with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which was signed for a five-year period.
“The agreement will remain in force for as long as necessary, even beyond 2030, 2040 or 2050, for as long as she remains Italy’s prime minister,” Rama said.
Rama described the agreement as an attempt to find an alternative approach to addressing migration, arguing that the issue would not disappear simply through stronger border controls or bilateral agreements.
He said migration remained a major challenge and was frequently used by political parties for domestic political purposes and to appeal to sections of the electorate.
“I believe this is an attempt to find a different way of addressing an issue that is not going to disappear. Strengthening our borders will not make it disappear, nor will agreements of this kind. It will remain a challenge for as long as different political parties use it for domestic political purposes and to win over sections of the electorate. This is an enormous challenge,” Rama said.
Turning to Albania’s EU accession process, the prime minister reiterated his support for a merit-based approach to enlargement.
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