Prime Minister Edi Rama has given an interview to the Greek media outlet “Kathimerini” a few days before his participation in the 11th Delphi Economic Forum (April 22–25). In this interview, he spoke extensively about Greek-Albanian relations, economic developments in Albania, the property issue in Himara, as well as recent debates surrounding his statements on the international stage.
The interview also touches on several sensitive topics, including reactions in Greece to his comments on historical identity, relations with the Greek minority in Albania, the cadastral process, and tourism development in the south of the country. In the end, Rama also responds to questions regarding accusations and misinformation that, according to him, circulate about his personal biography and education.
Full interview
During your term, Albania opened its doors to foreign investments, the annual growth rate is around 4%, and the country has become a magnet for tourists. What is Albania today?
“We have brought about a very significant change in many ways. As you said, today Albania has become a tourist destination, and the most important thing is that we have managed to overcome the stigma and many prejudices that kept us distant from other countries for many years. Now we must continue, do everything possible to improve what needs improvement and avoid repeating mistakes that sometimes seem inevitable.”
The Commission estimates that a large part of your economy depends on the informal economy, about 30% of GDP, and has expressed concerns about the rule of law. What measures have you taken to address these issues?
“The shadow economy is part of the historical phase of transformative changes in Albania. Thirty-five years have passed, but that is not enough to leave behind many of the challenges that arose from the lack of experience, state institutions, democratic tradition, and rule of law. We are building and changing every day.
We have significantly improved the balance between the formal and informal economy, and this is clearly reflected in government revenues, which continue to grow without a corresponding increase in taxes. This means that a larger part of the economy is being formalized and tax collection is becoming more sustainable. We are also using technology, including artificial intelligence, and this will continue to improve.”
Your statement at the Abu Dhabi summit regarding Greeks — “you think you are descendants of Plato and Aristotle, but you are not” — caused strong reactions in Greek society. Do you regret your comment?
“I regret that comments intended to be ‘provocative,’ more for the sake of discussion and with some humor, can turn into serious issues and provoke disproportionate reactions. That surprised me. I believe such comments should be treated more lightly. They are not meant to offend, but rather to encourage self-irony, which is always healthy.
If people in Greece who were upset had also heard my comments about how we in Albania should take ourselves less seriously and not rely on the past to feel better or more important, they might have understood what I meant. Nevertheless, I have made it clear that when it comes to Greece, its history, language, literature, and culture, my feelings are entirely positive. I admire it greatly, and anyone who knows me understands this.
However, nationalist tendencies can sometimes appear quickly, often reflecting a lack of maturity and awareness. We should all try to smile more and take ourselves, and others, a little less seriously.
Your statement also sparked accusations about your connection to the Greek minority in Albania, through your mother from the village of Vuno, as well as about a “Greek scholarship” you were reported to have received as mayor of Tirana to study at Harvard. What is true about all this?
“Vuno is a village in Himara; there are people who speak Greek in other villages, but in Vuno no one spoke Greek. I don’t know the reason, but that doesn’t mean anything. If I had Greek roots, I would be very happy and proud, but I don’t. I am proud of my Albanian roots.
Secondly, I have never received a scholarship to Harvard and I have never studied at Harvard. I have visited it, thanks to a very close and dear friend, who is like a sister to me and a Greek-American. However, I have never studied there. There is a lot of misinformation circulating and I don’t understand why.”
Another issue between the two sides concerns the property of the Greek minority, which has not been fully resolved. What is the latest development on this matter?
“This is not an isolated issue. Property rights remain a broader issue throughout the country; it is not something that belongs only to the Greek minority. Greeks and Albanians living in the same village face the same challenges. This situation stems from a very difficult historical legacy. There was a 50-year period of complete expropriation, which affected us all. This was followed by a turbulent transition phase, during which many things went wrong; ownership titles and documents were destroyed and in some cases assigned to the wrong people.
What we are doing now is a process of consolidating and unifying the cadastre. We are making progress and recently we have issued many property titles to people in the south, in Himara. Whether they are of Greek or Albanian origin, people are receiving ownership titles for their old houses, which they previously did not have. This process is complex, as it involves unifying maps and is not as simple as it may seem. There are still tens of thousands of old houses in the country that are in the process of receiving property titles.”
It seems that Himara is included in the tourism development plan. Are you discussing with your Greek counterpart ways to strengthen tourism relations?
“Himara has always been part of our tourism plan; it is nothing new. Like the rest of the country, it has seen significant growth in recent years. The Municipality of Himara is one of the richest in the country, thanks to tax revenues from development.
Unlike most of the ‘fake’ information circulating in Greek media, the residents of Himara benefit significantly from this development. When they enter development contracts, often supported by flexible agreements that recognize long-term land use, they can receive substantial compensation from developers.
Himara is doing very well and the mayor is doing an excellent job. He represents what I believe is a model: he has one Greek parent and one Albanian parent and is fully committed to both communities. He supports Greek-speaking residents and this is reflected in tourism promotional material, which is available in Albanian, Greek, and English. What happened in the past with the person (Fredi Beleri) who ended up in prison instead of serving as mayor was unfortunate.”
The former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, had described Albania as “a very small but very evil European country where American elements cooperate with Iranian traitors and plot against the Islamic Republic.” Albania has recently been targeted by hybrid attacks. Are you concerned that Tehran may try to expand them?
“I have no information about heaven and hell, and I do not know for sure if they exist, but if they do, I hope that Khamenei rots in hell. I say this for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of Iranian girls and women who have suffered under his rule. I also say this for the many people who have been imprisoned, massacred, or have seen their lives destroyed under this regime.
I have nothing else to add. We are not afraid of them. We have hosted a group of Iranians who oppose the regime. In our agreement it is clearly stated that they are being sheltered for humanitarian reasons, to save their lives and not to use Albania as a platform to act against the regime.”
Since your last interview in 2023 with “Kathimerini,” have you learned any Greek words or phrases?
“I already knew the two most beautiful Greek words: ‘love’ and ‘thank you.’ For the rest, English works very well. I am not young enough to learn Greek anymore. My brother, who is not much younger than me, learned it when we went to Corfu and has continued to practice, so he speaks it well. He can easily handle situations, like talking to a taxi driver in Athens, while I am completely at the driver’s mercy and that doesn’t bother me.”
I have to ask, have you visited many destinations in Greece?
“I would like to visit Greece more often and discover more places. However, due to my job and the fact that I am known in Greece, for good and not so good reasons, it is not easy. I have also set a rule for myself and others in the government not to take vacations outside Albania. The reason is simple: it would not make sense to promote Albania as a tourist destination while spending our vacations in places like Greece or Turkey.
I understand that Kyriakos Mitsotakis can do this, because Greece is already an established and consolidated tourist destination. But we are still in the process of building ours.
By the way, I am very impressed by what has happened in Greece in recent years, especially after the economic crisis and under Kyriakos’ government. The new developments, especially high-quality hotels and resorts, are very impressive. Perhaps he is now reaping the benefits of foundations laid earlier, as often happens. In any case, it is very impressive and we have a lot to learn from Greece.”
The post Himara, EU negotiations and his origin, Rama interview for Greek media appeared first on Euronews Albania.
