Tirana Times, May 28, 2026 – The importance, depth and complexity of relations between Albania and Italy can never be overstated. Just over one year after he assumed the diplomatic post of Ambassador of Italy to Albania, Tirana Times editor in chief Jerina Zaloshnja carried out this interview with ambassador Marco Alberti on the quickly developing new pillars of the bilateral relations and the challenges that the future holds.
Your Excellency, it has been just over a year since you assumed your diplomatic post in Albania. Do you feel that you have found a second home here?
Partly, yes. Diplomats are professional nomads, with many “homes.” They come and go, always ready to leave. Yet, it’s not true that diplomats become less attached to a country because they know they’ll have to leave. On the contrary, they feel more affection, since they recognize that in every country, and in any experience, there’s something enriching.
Over this intensive year, which key milestones would you highlight in the development of bilateral relations between Italy and Albania?
I’ve said it often, because I truly believe it: the common challenge for Italy and Albania is transforming their friendship into a strategic partnership. Our bilateral relationship reflects a multitude of new perspectives and can flourish across an array of promising pathways. Choosing what to do—and what not to do—is the basic definition of strategy. When I came here last year, I asked myself: “What is the core here?” I answered, first of all, that an intergovernmental Summit was needed, to consolidate our relations and to accompany Albania in the EU accession negotiations: the Summit was held in Rome in November, at the highest institutional level. We didn’t have a G2G agreement: it was signed, along with 16 other agreements in strategic fields. An Albanian Development Bank was needed: it now exists, created with the support of CDP too. In economic terms, compared to the past, Italy needed to move from a “labor-intensive” presence to a more “capital-intensive” and “innovation-oriented” one. This is the new approach we have been working towards.
You have been a strong advocate of the economic pillar of diplomacy, and much of your engagement in Albania has focused on strengthening economic ties. How would you assess the progress achieved so far?
When I took my office in 2025, I was given statistics saying that there were 2,600 Italian companies operated in Albania. However, I realized they were all small or very small. On the one hand, we have continued to support their internationalization in Albania, because these are a key driver of development. On the other hand, the new face of Italian corporate Italy in this country had also to encompass heavy industry, energy transition, digital technology, and high-value-added services. This is why we worked to bring a bunch of large Italian companies to Albania, global players active in these key sectors. Some have already arrived others will be landing soon. Their presence, in terms of economic diplomacy, is a win-win-win game: it will strengthen the internationalization of companies at a time of geopolitical and geo-economic uncertainty; it will make Italy’s positioning in Albania more solid, strategic and effective; it will help Albania raise its profile (including internationally) in such high-value-added fields. The recently signed Fincantieri-Kayo Joint venture, for example, will help modernize a yard ship and the maritime defense capacity of Albania, in the NATO framework. At the same time, it will create hundreds of new jobs, helping retain talent in Albania. Lastly, this JV will provide Fincantieri with additional shipbuilding capacity, to fulfill orders from around the world. This is a step aligned with a new work strategy: not just “Italy in Albania”, but “Italy with Albania”. The road is long, but we are happy with the results achieved in this year’s work.
The two Prime Ministers, Edi Rama and Giorgia Meloni, have cultivated a friendly and highly cooperative relationship, marked by a positive personal rapport. How has this dynamic influenced institutional relations between the two countries?
Leaderships’ friendship boosts bilateral relations and make them easier. Diplomacy works to channel friendship towards joint projects, strengthening both the bond and the projects.
Bilateral relations are also deeply rooted in strong people-to-people connections, reflected in cultural exchange, education, and ongoing interactions between our societies. How does this dimension shape and inspire your daily diplomatic work?
The human factor is at the very heart of the Italy-Albania relationship. Our ties are not built only on geographical proximity or strategic interests, but on decades of daily interaction between people, which are still alive. We have hundreds of young Italians studying in Albania, and thousands of Albanian students in Italy. We have archaeological missions, artist residencies and cultural exchanges of all kinds. Furthermore, I guess Italians are the most, or one of the most, numerous tourists in Albania. All of this help strengthening institutional relations. The Embassy believes in this aspect of diplomacy. For this reason, on our social media we share the catchy stories of Albanians with ties to Italy, or who lived in Italy and then returned here: entrepreneurs, artists, chefs, scientists.
Finally, to the extent that you can share, what are your priorities for the coming years? What areas of cooperation should we expect to see further developed between Italy and Albania?
First, accompanying Albania in its path towards the EU accession: we are here to support the reforms required. Second: implementing the deals struck in Rome last November, which is a pragmatic way to help Albania accelerate its modernization. Third: in the next five years, 2025-2030, I would like to triple the Italian foreign investments made in Albania in the previous twenty-five years, that is 2000-2025. A big Italy-Albania business forum is under preparation with AIDA (to be hopefully held in fall 2026). Fourth: working to advance Corridor VIII: this is a geopolitical game changer able to generate stability and long-term economic value in the Balkans, offering many business opportunities. Italy is committed to boosting the implementation of the Corridor and the projects along this axis.
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