Comments by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama toward a Greek-American journalist during the Sustainable Development Summit in Abu Dhabi, in which he stated, among other things, that modern Greeks are not descendants of Plato and Aristotle, prompted reactions from users on X.

In particular, following a post by the outlet Daily Turkic on the issue, X users responded by citing studies indicating that modern Greeks share genetic continuity with ancient Greek populations, including those from the Mycenaean period (around 1500 BC).

It is worth noting, for context, that both Aristotle and Plato lived during the 5th and 4th centuries BC.

The exchange between Rama and the Greek-American journalist

An exchange took place between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Greek-American journalist John Defterios, who was moderating a discussion at the Sustainable Development Summit in Abu Dhabi.

The discussion began when Defterios, a journalist with decades of experience at CNN, mispronounced the names of both Edi Rama and Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić during the opening introductions.

When the two leaders took the stage, Prime Minister Spajić corrected the pronunciation of his name, following an invitation from the moderator to do so. Prime Minister Rama also corrected the pronunciation of his name, expressing irritation and attributing the mistake to the moderator’s Greek origin.

As the discussion continued and turned to energy investments in Albania, Prime Minister Rama referred to UAE Energy Minister Sultan Al Jaber as a “mentor” and asked Defterios whether he knew him. Defterios responded in a light-hearted manner, saying he was “not sure,” prompting laughter and applause from the audience.

Prime Minister Rama appeared to take the comment literally and responded critically, stating that, as a Greek, Defterios should be familiar with Al Jaber. He went on to say that Greeks often believe they hold a monopoly on philosophy and consider themselves heirs to Plato and Aristotle, adding that this was not the case.

Later in the discussion, the exchange continued when the topic shifted to the value of an investment project in Albania. Defterios referred to the investment as being worth one billion euros, while Rama corrected him, stating that the amount was higher. In doing so, Rama again made remarks referencing the journalist’s Greek background.

Transcript excerpts from the discussion

John Defterios:
“Let us welcome His Excellency Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania. It’s good to see you, Edi. Please take a seat. And His Excellency Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro. I’ll allow you to correct me now.”

Milojko Spajić:
“Milojko Spajić.”

John Defterios:
“Spajić, all right. I have Italian and Greek pronunciation.”

Edi Rama:
“It’s Edi Rama, not Rame.”

John Defterios:
(laughs) “I’ve made a great start with both of you.”

Edi Rama:
“You are Greek, right?”

John Defterios:
“I am Greek, yes.”

Edi Rama:
“That’s why you mispronounced our names. That’s what you do. I know this because we are neighbors.”

Later in the discussion:

Edi Rama:
“Our mentor is the man who gave one of the best speeches I have heard yesterday. His name is Dr. Sultan Al Jaber. I don’t know if you know him.”

John Defterios:
“Oh really? I’m not sure…”

(laughter and applause)

Edi Rama:
“As a Greek, you should know him better.”

John Defterios:
“I don’t know how much better I could know him.”

Edi Rama:
“You always underestimate people. You think you have a monopoly on philosophy and that you are heirs of Plato and Aristotle. But you are not.”

Toward the end of the discussion:

John Defterios:
“It’s impressive for a one-billion-dollar project to be implemented.”

Edi Rama:
“It’s more than one billion.”

John Defterios:
“A one-billion investment along with three similar projects.”

Edi Rama:
“It’s more than one billion.”

Edi Rama:
“Again, you are calculating like a Greek. When you speak about your own money, you add three zeros. When you speak about other people’s money, you remove three zeros. That’s what you do. That’s why the EU likes you so much.”

Reactions on social media

Following the incident, users on X commented on Rama’s remarks, with several citing genetic research suggesting continuity between modern Greek populations and ancient Greek civilizations, including the Mycenaean era.