The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, expressed his disagreement with the terms “Northern Epirus” as well as “Southern Albania” during an appearance on MEGA Channel on Monday evening.

He specifically said, “What does Northern Epirus mean today? Do you know what Northern Epirus is? It’s like us calling it Southern Albania.“

In response to a question about references in Albanian school books to “Albanian regions” in Greece, Rama commented, “If such a thing exists, it’s not right because there are no Albanian regions in Greece. There are areas where Albanians lived in the past in Greece, just as there are areas where Greeks lived and still live in Albania.“

He continued, “If this exists, it’s absolutely inaccurate because you know, we all go crazy afterward because we start looking into the realities of the past and undermine our future. Our future should determine how we view history. I see our future as a shared one, as Europeans.” Rama closed this topic with the observation, “What does Albanian land in Greece mean? I don’t know that, just like I don’t know what Northern Epirus means.“

When asked about Albania’s European perspective and whether it passes through Greece, Rama responded, “Certainly, the path of every newcomer passes through the door of each EU member state, and undoubtedly Greece has a say, like others. Moreover, Greece is closer to Albania—whether for better or worse. I want this to be for the good. I believe that when Albania joins the EU, it will be good for Greece because we will be stronger together.“