Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama defended a controversial luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner amid growing protests in Albania. Speaking at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Montenegro, Rama dismissed criticism of the proposed development as misinformation and accused social media campaigns of spreading false narratives. The Albanian leader insisted no final project has yet been approved and argued that the development aims to create a world-class destination while preserving the natural environment.
Rama Defends Kushner Resort Project as Protests Intensify in Albania
Albanian PM Fir...
What Edi Rama said
Written from the verified transcript and checked against it. Every figure links to the moment it was said.
Albanian PM Edi Rama defended the Jared Kushner resort project amid protests, saying no project has been approved yet and that criticism stems from a 'hybrid war' with false narratives, including claims of a deal with Netanyahu to bring Palestinians. He stressed that top architects and engineers are engaged and the aim is to create something unique for Albanians and Europe. On EU enlargement, Rama urged France and Germany to show 'guts' for a 'Helmut Kohl moment,' advocating for candidate countries to sit at the table during negotiations rather than wait outside. He praised the Western Balkans Growth Plan, said Albania is progressing fast on reforms, and recommended Montenegro stay focused as it nears membership. He also noted the Commission's internal reform proposal is overdue by more than half a year.
Key takeaways
No project approved yet for the Kushner resort; criticism is a 'hybrid war' with false narratives.
EU should have a 'Helmut Kohl moment' to bring candidate countries to the table, not a waiting room.
Albania is 'doing very well, working very hard on reforms, progressing fast' toward EU membership.
Montenegro is 'very close to the finish line' and should stay focused on reforms.
Document the French-German paper. So hopefully my two big friends and very respected leaders of France and Germany will find some more stamina to be more like co- and material.
No, no. The idea or the argument of danger is over. I heard it from many for many years. I saw because I am now getting old, you know. So I saw some of them coming and leaving and I'm still here and they have left after having told that no, it's dangerous. We want you in, we'll bring you in. In fact they went out. So it's not a waiting room, it's more integration. That's why I say EU should find now the guts to have an Helmut Kohl moment. So to say all together around the table like today always but everyone has to fulfill its own work, its own duties to get more from the table. You know, you don't tell the kids stay to the neighbors until you are ready to come and eat with us, right? Because then one of the kids get to know Russian gangster in the neighborhood. Another kid start to like Chinese dolls and so on and so forth. No, you keep the kids all together.
When Albania joins the EU, there are three things you can't predict. Three, right? God, sex, and the EU. Will you meet with protesters? Will you agree to meet with protesters? Will you agree to meet with protesters so we can discuss their demands regarding the resort protest going on in?
There are no demands to be discussed because there is no project approved yet. So first we need to have the project, then to see the project, then to discuss the project. But we can't discuss something that does not exist but that is being presented in the overall social media through a hybrid war against Albania through false narratives like the project is not the project but it's something cooked between me and Bibi Netanyahu through Jared Kushner to bring the Palestinians in nets. And I think the Western media should be much more careful because the facts matter and should always matter because there is no project because there is no reason to worry as far as there is no project and because the top architects among the best in the world, the top engineers, landscape architects are engaged and it's not the aim to do some disruption with nature but the aim is to make something unique that will be amazing for Albanians, but it will be also a gift of Albania to all of you in Europe.
Good morning. So, it's good to be here for the Western Balkan Summit. It is in the last six months the second time that we are meeting our Western Balkan partners. And a lot is going on. We're going to discuss two topics. One is the growth plan and the other enlargement. The growth plan is working well. It has the principle that European Union opens sectors before you sit around the table with us. But he said we are all around the table and then of course years needed to so we should be around the table always like today not once in a year. Everyone with its own baggage of homework and then everyone married based become full member but full member in terms of what you can take for Europe but right away full member in terms of what you give to Europe otherwise it's like telling the kids until you grow up you stay with the neighbors and then a kid get to know Russian gangster. Another kid get fascinated by Chinese dolls. And then when they grow, they are not ready anymore.
But on our side, the member states have also to explain to our people the benefits of enlargement and that is the strategic component. Enlargement means more security, more prosperity and a bigger place of Europe in the world. So there is momentum. We have to turn this momentum now into movement and this movement into membership.
