An unusual moment marked the Intergovernmental Conference between Albania and the European Union in Brussels, where EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos briefly interrupted her speech and addressed Prime Minister Edi Rama with an unexpected joke: “Don’t you love me?”, before kissing him on the cheek.
The event occurred during the protocol part of the conference, attracting the attention of attendees and international media.
Kos then continued her message by emphasizing that the European Union’s enlargement process is focused on citizens and that high public support in Albania is a key factor for advancing integration.
“This success is possible due to the strong support of the Albanian citizens. The enlargement process is truly about the people. This high level of support in your country is the best leadership a country can have. Albania is seizing this historic moment where enlargement is a priority for the EU,” said Kos.
She emphasized that the window of opportunity for European integration will not be open indefinitely, describing this moment as decisive for Albania on the path towards the EU.
“We support Albania’s vision to close the negotiations in 2027. Then we will climb Korabi together with Rama,” she added in symbolic tones.
For his part, Prime Minister Edi Rama responded to the statement with humor, saying: “We can climb the Eiffel Tower when France says ‘welcome to the club’, it’s harder than the Korab,” symbolically referring to the EU membership process.