The agreements were concluded during the first joint cabinet session held at Villa Pamphili in Rome, overseen by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni. Defense Minister said the deals reaffirmed the depth of the countries’ strategic partnership and their commitment to regional stability.

I. Defense cooperation

The two Defence Ministers signed a cooperation agreement widening joint activities in training, interoperability, maritime security and operational readiness. A technical agreement for the transfer of two Italian patrol boats to Albania’s Coast Guard will strengthen maritime surveillance and search-and-rescue capabilities in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, the Ministry said.

II. Defence industry partnerships

Albania described the industrial component of the agreements as an important step toward building a domestic defence industrial base aligned with the country’s broader technological and manufacturing ambitions.

State-owned company KAYO signed cooperation agreements with Italian firms Leonardo and Fincantieri covering advanced technologies ranging from munitions and command-and-control systems to maintenance of the Navy’s existing vessels and the production of new naval platforms for domestic and international markets.

III. Civil protection investments

Civil protection was another key pillar of the summit. Albania will receive a loan of 30 million euros for equipment, training and operational modernisation, along with a grant of 5 million euros for rapid response and risk mitigation.

These initiatives are complemented by a memorandum and a trilateral declaration between Albania’s National Civil Protection Agency (AKMC), AICS Tirana and Italy’s Civil Protection Agency, aimed at coordinating current and future civil defence and emergency projects.

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Rama and Meloni exchanged bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding, signed within the framework of the first G2G meeting in Rome.

The agreements between the government of Albania and the government of Italy that were signed today in Rome guarantee strategic cooperation in the fields of healthcare, energy, environment, security and defense industry, migration management, education, innovation, diaspora, economic transformation and smart growth.

In total, there are 16 new cooperation agreements within the framework of the close strategic partnership between the two countries.

The ceremony of signing the agreements by the two senior officials took place in the outdoor premises of Villa Doria Pamphili, a seventeenth-century villa with what is today the largest landscaped public park in Rome, Italy. /m.m/a.f/r.e/p.s./

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the delegation accompanying him on an official visit to Tirana signed the two joint declarations with the Albanian government during a ceremony at the Prime Minister’s office on Thursday.

Albania and the United Kingdom signed the joint declaration on advancing bilateral cooperation and shared political and economic priorities.

On behalf of the Albanian government, the agreement was signed by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani.

The two countries also signed the Declaration of Intentions between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the government of the United Kingdom to boost defence exports and industrial collaboration between the two countries.

On behalf of the Albanian government, the agreement was signed by the Minister of Defence Pirro Vengu.

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Today, at the Palace of Brigades in Tirana, there was held the event for the exchange of the signed agreements within the framework of cooperation between Masdar, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), Albanian Power Corporation (KESH) and Transmission System Operator of Albania OST. Also, there was held the signing of the Letter of Intent for the Smart City Project of Albania between “Presight AI Ltd” and Albania’s Ministry of Interior. The agreements were signed in the presence of President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is on an official visit in Tirana today and Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Within the framework of this visit, the signed cooperation agreements between the parties were exchanged, specifically:

– Framework Agreement for Action between Masdar, TAQA, KESH and OST, which were exchanged between the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku and the Chairman of MASDAR, Sultan Al Jaber.

– Letter of Intent for the Albania Smart City Project between “Presight AI Ltd” and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania, exchanged between the Minister of Interior Ervin Hoxha and the Chairman of “Presight AI Ltd”, Sultan Al Jaber. /r.e/p.s./

Albgaz and SOCAR signed the agreement for development of the gasification infrastructure of the city of Korça while the Albanian Power Corporation (KESH) and the energy giant of the Emirates MASDAR signed the relevant agreement for establishment of the joint public company that will invest in Albania and the region.

Prime Minister Edi Rama shared in the social media photos from the signing event of these two agreements.

“Today in Azerbaijan, where we signed the memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, Albgaz and SOCAR, the state-oil company of Azerbaijan, for development of the gasification infrastructure of the city of Korça and the agreement between the KESH and the energy giant of the Emirates MASDAR for establishment of the joint public company that will invest in Albania and in the region. The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the COP 29”, wrote Rama in the social media.

On her part, Deputy Prime Minister Balluku said that the agreement between KESH and MASDAR will have a great impact in the region. /j.p/p.s./

The agreements were signed in the framework of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s visit to Hungary and the accompanying government delegation, including also the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Anila Denaj, and the Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption, Adea Pirdeni.

In a joint press statement with the Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister Rama emphasized importance of the public administration in the candidate countries on the path towards European Union accession.

According to him, Hungary’s experience could offer valuable lessons for Albania.

The government head pointed out development of Albania’s tourism sector, saying a growing number of Hungarians are spending their holidays and visiting the country.

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These agreements mark a milestone for economic cooperation within CEFTA and promise real, tangible benefits- simplifying business operations, creating new job opportunities, and strengthening consumer protections.

Just days ahead of the Berlin Process celebrating its 10th anniversary, CEFTA is taking a decisive step toward realizing the vision of a Common Regional Market. Anchored in EU rules and best practices, these agreements will bring the CEFTA markets closer to the EU Single Market and unlock the potential of the EU’s New Growth Plan.

Danijela Gačević, Acting Director at CEFTA Secretariat, stated in her remarks that CEFTA is of fundamental importance for the free movement of goods and services, driving economic growth and integration.

“With these decisions, we are creating a stronger, more unified economic space where businesses can grow faster, and consumers are protected even when shopping beyond their local markets. This is a significant moment for CEFTA as we are moving closer to full alignment with the EU market. The benefits will be felt across the entire CEFTA. Small and medium companies will be empowered to export and make the best use of digital markets, while all of us will benefit from more choice, better price and quality and more robust consumer protection,” she said

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The Kosovo government head said in his opening remarks that WBIF has launched two calls under the 31^st round of the technical assistance grants and the 10^th round of the investment grants.

“We will adopt the applications under the call for the technical assistance grants to help in designing process and implementation of infrastructure investment projects,” Kurti said.

He added that the EU’s Growth Plan will provide funding for infrastructure projects under the WBIF mechanism. Kurti noted that the calls for energy, transport and digital infrastructure and human resources will depend on delivering on reforms under the EU’s Reform Agenda and Growth Plan.

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Sharing the statement issued by the EU’s Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell following the failed joint meeting with the Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Brussels a day ago, the U.S. official said in a statement posted on the social media platform X “this is a missed opportunity for both parties to move forward.”

O’Brien emphasized that the recent meetings between EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, as well as Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, have highlighted the need for the parties to refocus their efforts and seize opportunities within the EU-facilitated dialogue.  He expressed disappointment over failure to implement past agreements, saying “this is a truly lost chance for both Kosovo and Serbia to make progress.”

“First, formalisation of the Basic Agreement through signing by the respective heads of state and government.  Second, withdrawal of the reservation letter officially deposited with the European External Action Service by former Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, dated 13 December 2023. And third, handing over Milan Radojčić and his paramilitary-terrorist group to Kosovo’s judicial authorities,” EU Foreign Policy chief Borell said in his statement quoting the requests tabled by Kosovo PM Kurti.

Serbia was not ready to fully meet Kosovo’s conditions, citing constitutional constraints, while President Vučić indicated that he is ready to explore options in relation to the former Prime Minister’s letter – that we mentioned before – and formalising the Agreement in line with past Dialogue practices, in order to unblock implementation of the Agreement.

The US official has urged Kosovo and Serbia to prioritize the implementation of past agreements and actively engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue, as failure to do so represent a missed opportunity for both parties to move towards a resolution of their longstanding issues.

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Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the EU leading spokesperson Peter Stano commented on the first agreement between Kosovo and Serbia signed 11 years ago by the then Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and Serbia’s Ivica Dacic on normalization of the relations between the two countries.

Stano emphasized the importance of implementation of all agreements, adding that both Serbia and Kosovo will face consequences if they fail to uphold their commitments.

The EU spokesman said that forming the Association of Serb Municipalities is an urgent and fundamental matter, warning of serious repercussions.

He emphasized that the EU, along with international partners, has been clear in communicating the necessity of implementation to Kosovo, warning that failure to comply would carry significant implications.

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