Headline: Meloni and Rama Defend "Revolutionary" Migration Protocol as Critics Question Costs and Efficacy of Historic Italy-Albania Summit ROME—The first Intergovernmental Summit between Italy and Albania, featuring PM Giorgia Meloni and PM Edi Rama, was framed as a landmark in bilateral relations, but the meeting was dominated by questions over the controversial Italy-Albania Migration Protocol. Despite facing legal delays and domestic opposition that criticized the rising costs, PM Meloni staunchly defended the deal, calling the mechanism "revolutionary" in managing migration flows. She also revealed that the model is now attracting interest and potential participation from other European Union states. A Unique Partnership and Political Stance The high-stakes summit, which resulted in numerous accords on defense, energy, and infrastructure, provided a stage for PM Rama to solidify his unique political alignment with Italy. * Unwavering Loyalty: When asked if he regretted the deal, PM Rama emphatically stated his loyalty: "I would do it 100 times with Italy... with other countries, never". This highlights the special nature of the partnership, which PM Meloni praised as a sign that Albania already behaves like an EU member state. * Controversy and Delay: Meloni acknowledged that political forces had successfully worked to "brake or block" the protocol. She noted that the facilities will function exactly as intended once the new EU Migration and Asylum Pact comes into force, but lamented that Italy will have "lost two years" due to the delays. Beyond the migration debate, the leaders agreed to push for the 2028 target to commence political negotiations for Albania’s EU accession, alongside major economic deals granting pension rights to Albanian workers in Italy. Watch the full debate and declarations here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkxcts1_skE #MigrationProtocol #ItalyAlbania #GiorgiaMeloni #PoliticalDebate #EUSummit