"I'm saying this for the first time", Rama recounts the episode with Berisha: He told me that here is the cream of the country's brains

Prime Minister Edi Rama told for the first time an unknown episode from the beginnings of political pluralism in Albania.

In an interview with Nikoll Lesi, Rama recalled the meeting held in 1992 between the Albanian painter from Montenegro, Gjelosh Gjoka, and Sali Berisha, then president.

According to Rama, Gjoka had long wanted to meet Berisha, but had been unable to secure a meeting. Rama said he had sent a letter of introduction to Berisha and the response had been surprising: the meeting would only take place if Rama were present.

Excerpt from the conversation

 Rama : I know what you reminded me of, you reminded me of an episode that I will say publicly for the first time because I have never said it before, but I have told some people. In the early days of the Democratic Party's rule, Gjelosh Gjoka came to Tirana. Gjelosh Gjoka, a famous Albanian painter from Montenegro who lived in Germany and had a dream of meeting the Doctor (Berisha), he had a dream. And I told him, look, I said only if I send him a request, you can meet him, otherwise he will not meet. No, he said what he said, don't get involved in this business because because I had those positions of mine at "Koha Jonë" my work was known.

Okay I said - you know!

But he tried, tried, tried, he couldn't do it, he got desperate. And he said to me: - Did you say that to me as a joke? No, I said: - I'm convinced that if I ask you, he'll give you a meeting. Try it once, he said, and I'll write him a letter about Gjeloš, introducing who he is, what others, others and sent it to him through someone I know who was in charge. And that someone comes to me and says, Yes, I gave it to him, he says, yes, he has a condition. What condition did I tell him? He can wait for Gjeloš if you're with him. I said: Me! No, he said: - That's what he said! If I come with him, he said: - I'll wait for him! And I tell Gjeloš, listen, this is a difficult thing for me to go and meet him now. Because I'm meeting him! The communist's Dava, I told him. But he replied: No, this is the case that you definitely have to come, others and others, he's inviting you and what does it matter. To cut it short, we're both going there, yes, yes.

Nikoële Lesi: Where will I be in the Presidency?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: At the presidency yes, in the office with Gjelosh Gjoka surprise,

Nikoll Lesi: Oh, "Koha Jonë" didn't know that you would have ruined me like Edi!

Edi Rama: And we sat there, he was talking about Gjeloshi, not me at all, but in the meantime he was talking so that I could listen, of course! Berisha addresses Gjeloshi:

-In the days you've been here, have you ever seen the parliament? Have you ever seen the parliament?

Gjelosh tried to say, "I saw it," in vain!

"What does it look like?" Berisha asked.

-Yes, the beginnings are good, it's good!

"What good? How good? Where is the good there?" the Doctor addressed him.

"Oh," I said, "what is he saying?"

"It's not good there," he said, "They're all there," he said with the communist cabbage on his head.

He said, and I don't want to say all the details because he spoke and with names that I was completely surprised, he called his own people, tore them to pieces and took them off the table and went to get the Koha Jone newspaper. He had it on the table. You see this - he said - I was there, telling him, - here is the cream - he said - of the brains of this country. But instead - he said - so that we can work for this country and help me - he said - and support these processes, they stay there - he said, and they grumble-grumble-grumble all the time and complain about them - he said, - these own people. They are right, he said but where can I find them, lest they come and be directed by me. I said this is a fraud of a higher level than it is possible.

Nikoële Lesi: Is this 92-93?

Prime Minister Rama: It was in '92.

Nikollë Lesi: It was Gramoz Pashko's group.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: No, no, they were all in parliament, it was the beginning, if I may put it that way, history, that is. I remembered this when you were talking, I said I would say this on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the newspaper KOHA JONE.

-Here is – he said – the cream of the brains of this country and waved the newspaper KOHA JONE. -Instead of supporting me, helping me – he said that it was for me that I was there, -instead of supporting me and helping me, he said, they just keep doing ghr ghr ghr.