Italy is confident in a positive
decision from the Albanian Constitutional Court on the migration
agreement between Rome and Tirana as it respects all the rules,
Italy's ambassador to Albania, Fabrizio Bucci, told ANSA on the
sidelines of the Ambassadors' Conference at the foreign ministry
in Rome on Tuesday. Bucci said the decision by the court to
suspend ratification of the protocol by parliament is a
"necessary procedural step" while it examines two appeals filed
by the opposition. "The Court will rule on the merits in
January," he added. "We are waiting confidently because we
believe that the protocol is absolutely compatible with both the
Albanian Constitution and all international norms," said Bucci.
In early November Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and her
Albanian counterpart Edi Rama signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to set up two centres in Albania to process the
asylum applications of migrants and refugees rescued at sea by
Italian navy, coast guard and police vessels. People with
special needs such as the elderly, children or pregnant women,
migrants and refugees who have been rescued by NGO-run ships and
people who land directly on Italian soil are to be excluded from
the deal. On bilateral trade, Bucci stressed "the particularly
felicitous season of relations between Italy and Albania". "It
is clear from all the indicators: we are Albania's leading trade
partner, our exchange is worth 20% of Albania's GDP, one third
of Albania's global exchange takes place with Italy, half of all
foreign companies in Albania are Italian, the number of our
companies has grown from 2,600 to 2,800, we are present in all
sectors with small, medium and large enterprises," said the
ambassador. But it is not only the economy that links the two
countries. "We have a dozen archaeological missions, and Italian
is one of the most studied languages" in Albania, said Bucci. On
the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking he said
the two countries "set up a working group at the level of police
chiefs two years ago and have a dozen joint investigation
teams". "In the last two years alone we have captured 80
fugitives and seized more than a tonne of narcotics," he
continued. Lastly, Bucci pointed out the "intensification" of
relations and visits at a political level over the last year as
a result of "this new focus of the Italian government on the
Balkans". In short, he said "in Albania, Italy is the most
important country, and we consider Albania a privileged gateway
to all the Balkans".
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