PM Rama says 2030 to mark “Year of Naim” and EU accession milestone

Sonila Mehmeti — Mon, 25 May 2026 09:17:13 +0000

TIRANA, May 25 /ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama, in a message published on Monday morning on social media, commemorated the 180th anniversary of the birth of the prominent Albanian National Renaissance poet Naim Frashëri, linking his legacy to Albania’s ongoing journey toward European integration.

According to Prime Minister Rama, “it is a joyful mystery that the green light for the opening of the final phase of accession negotiations with the European Union and the holding of the Albania–European Union Intergovernmental Conference should coincide with the 180th anniversary of the birth of Naim Frashëri, the brilliant guide of our century-long aspiration toward ‘the Sun that rises where it sets in the West.’”

“With deep gratitude, on this 25 May we commemorate the great and immortal ‘founder of Albania’, invoking the noble spirit of his legacy for the better days that lie ahead for our nation and our state,” Rama said.

The Prime Minister further emphasized that, “through our shared efforts, guided by the light of his legacy and that of our National Renaissance figures, and with God’s help, Albania in 2030 will mark the 130th anniversary of Naim Frashëri’s death by crowning it as the European Year of Naim — the year of ‘the Sun that rises where it sets in the West.’”

“And if, as Konica once said, only 300 Albanians accompanied Naim to his final resting place, then in Albania 2030 the great ‘founder of Albania’ will be commemorated by an entire nation, united as one with the family of a united Europe,” Prime Minister Rama concluded in his message, which also featured a photograph of the poet Naim Frashëri.

Naim Frasheri-year-EU – Albanian Telegraphic Agency.

PM Rama says 2030 to mark “Year of Naim” and EU accession milestone