Relationship dossier
Albania
Italy
Relationship assessment
Close Albania–Italy partnership with sustained cooperation on stability, European integration and migration.
Albania toward Italy
+45Albania agreed in the 2023 protocol to host facilities for processing migrants rescued by Italian authorities, providing a concrete framework for bilateral migration cooperation.
Italy toward Albania
+55Italy led Operation Alba, the 1997 multinational mission launched amid Albania’s crisis, and has supported Albania’s European integration. In 2023, Italy concluded a protocol with Albania for migrant processing facilities on Albanian territory.
Overall relationship
+50The relationship combines Italy’s role in supporting Albanian stability and European integration with practical bilateral arrangements, including the 2023 migration protocol. These sustained forms of cooperation make the relationship substantially cooperative, while the partnership does not amount to an exceptionally close alliance.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Albania and Italy maintain a close partnership shaped by Italian support for Albania’s stability and European integration, alongside cooperation on migration. The 2023 protocol allowing Italy to operate migrant processing facilities in Albania illustrates substantial practical cooperation. The partnership is important and sustained, though the implementation and scope of particular agreements remain relevant uncertainties.
Key developments
Italy led Operation Alba, a multinational mission launched during Albania’s 1997 crisis.
Italy and Albania signed a protocol providing for migrant processing facilities in Albania operated by Italy.
Major uncertainties
- The long-term implementation and practical scope of the 2023 migration protocol remain uncertain.
- The extent of current cooperation across other bilateral policy areas is unclear.