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Albanian PM kneels before Italy's Giorgia Meloni as he welcomes her at EPC Summit | WATCH

Albanian PM kneels before Italy's Giorgia Meloni as he welcomes her at EPC Summit | WATCH

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World | Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stole the spotlight at the EPC summit when he knelt on the red carpet while welcoming Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stole the spotlight at the European Political Community (EPC) summit when he knelt on the red carpet while welcoming Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.

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The video and pictures of the incident have gone viral on social media. He also presented her with a specially crafted scarf designed by an Italian artist living in Albania and serenaded her with “Tanti Auguri,” the Italian version of “Happy Birthday.” Another viral moment from the summit was AI-generated baby images of leaders projected on a large screen, saying: “Welcome to Albania.”

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This act of camaraderie underscored the strong diplomatic ties between Albania and Italy, despite the leaders’ differing political ideologies — Rama leads Albania’s Socialist Party, while Meloni heads Italy’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party.

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Photograph: (AFP)
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EPC summit

The EPC summit, held for the first time in the Western Balkans, marked a major milestone for Albania. With over 40 European leaders in attendance, including French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the event signalled Albania’s growing relevance in European political discourse.

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Navashree Nandini

Navashree Nandini works as a senior sub-editor and has over five years of experience. She writes about global conflicts ranging from India and its neighbourhood to West Asia to the...Read More