Prime Minister Edi Rama held a press conference in South Korea, where he is on a several-day visit. During the visit, he also met today with his South Korean counterpart, Kim Minseok.

In his remarks, Rama stressed that the Korean Peninsula is the clearest example that history alone does not determine a country’s destiny, but rather the political and social choices that shape it.

“Korea is proof that history matters, but history alone does not decide fate. There is perhaps no other place where this is illustrated more clearly than on this peninsula. The destinies of nations are shaped not simply by where they begin, but by the choices they make. One Korea became a symbol of renewal through openness, stable democracy, and innovation. The other became an emblem of darkness through isolation, rule by force, and fear,” Rama said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that Albania went through a similar period of isolation, describing the country as once being the “North Korea of Europe,” but emphasized that today Albania is following a different path—toward integration into the European Union.

“For me, this has never been merely an abstract lesson, because during a painful chapter of its history, Albania was the ‘North Korea of Europe.’ Yet today it is walking another path. A path that is not easy and certainly not perfect, but fundamentally different—a path of institution-building, democratic modernization, and a road toward the European Union.

Through our journey, we are proving that democratic institutions can be built even when history says it is impossible, and that a country once confined by isolation can instead be defined by aspiration,” he stated.

Excerpts from Rama’s Full Speech

Rama said he felt deeply privileged to be in Seoul once again, recalling his first visit more than two decades ago when he was Mayor of Tirana.

“What I saw back then was already extraordinary, but what I see today after all these years is profoundly moving,” he said.

He described South Korea as a testament to how nations can overcome hardship through determination and openness.

“While we locked ourselves behind walls, singing revolutionary songs inspired by China’s Cultural Revolution and fighting imaginary wars against Americans and Soviets, something entirely different was unfolding in this continent—something we could neither see nor were allowed to know.

Japan was rebuilding itself into an industrial miracle. South Korea was transforming poverty into engineering precision. Singapore was proving that a city-state with no natural resources could shine brighter than nations blessed with every possible advantage,” Rama declared.

Rama also reflected on Albania’s split from China at the moment Deng Xiaoping began introducing pragmatic reforms.

“Albania remained loyal to doctrine. China chose pragmatism, and history moved with China,” he said.

Speaking about leadership and resilience, Rama stated:

“True leadership belongs not to spectators judging comfortably from a distance, but to those who step into the arena—not because they are certain they will win, but because they dare greatly.”

He concluded by praising South Korea’s transformation and economic achievements.

“It is still recent news that this country has surpassed Japan in GDP per capita—an achievement that until recently would have sounded almost like fantasy. What makes this accomplishment extraordinary is the ability of a nation to transform pain into strength, hunger into determination, destruction into energy, and historical trauma into an almost unbelievable force of collective ambition.

And if Korea could do it, then nobody has the right to say it cannot be done—whether collectively or individually.

Feel blessed, and simply do it.

Thank you.”