Edi Rama
Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted to the statement made to Greek-American journalist John Defterios at the Summit held in Abu Dhabi, which attracted the attention of Greek media and politics.
In his reaction, Rama emphasizes that the statement was taken out of context, emphasizing that it was part of a joke.
Rama expressed surprise at the media reaction in Athens, while emphasizing that Greece is an irreplaceable neighbor for Albania.
The Prime Minister, in response to the reactions, declared that there is no doubt about the origins of ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, adding that Ancient Greece is the cradle of European civilization.
“I am amazed by the reaction of some media outlets in Athens and some tired Greek politicians regarding my not at all tendentious, but friendly humor-filled tones during the conversation with the esteemed journalist John Defterios at the panel organized during the Sustainable Development Summit in Abu Dhabi! It is incredible that a sentence said with humor, can be completely disconnected from the context and turn into a public polemic with nationalist pathos, which unfortunately happens often in media Athens! But I assure all those concerned and hurt, that I have not the slightest doubt that Plato and Aristotle are Greek philosophers and that Ancient Greece is the cradle of European civilization; that Greek culture deserves only admiration, not only for the philosophers of antiquity but also for the poets, writers, filmmakers and the music it has given to humanity; that Greece is a country for which I have the most positive feelings, that the Greek people are for me an irreplaceable neighbor and brother “I am an inalienable citizen of the Albanian people and I have a special respect for the Prime Minister of Greece. Do we understand? I hope so. But let no one among those who are worried and hurt by my humor ask me, that whoever writes and speaks Greek with the nationalist pathos of the aforementioned, should seem to me like a descendant of Plato and Aristotle ,” Rama said.
Rama’s statement to the Greek-American journalist:
It all started when the Greek-born moderator John Defterios, a CNN journalist, mispronounced the names of Edi Rama and Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic during their speech.
Edi Rama corrected him, accusing him of pronouncing the names incorrectly because he is Greek.
Continuing the discussion and while discussing the energy investments being made in Albania, Edi Rama said “let’s thank our mentor Sultan Al Jaber” (Minister of Energy of the United Arab Emirates) and asked Defterios if he knew him. Defterios, for his part and for the sake of humor, replied with a smile “how can he not be sure who he is (Sultan Al Jaber)”, inviting those present to applaud.
Prime Minister Rama replied: “As a Greek, you should have known. That’s what you do, you always underestimate people because you think you have a monopoly on philosophy and are the direct heir of Plato and Aristotle,” adding immediately afterwards: “But you are not.”