Foreign minister Antonio Tajani has paid tribute to Italo-Albanian journalist, intellectual and key figure in Albania's independence movement, Anselmo Lorecchio, on the centenary of his death.
"In Pallagorio (Province of Crotone) for the centenary of the death of Anselmo Lorecchio," Tajani wrote Friday on X (formerly Twitter).
"Thanks to his intellectual work he contributed to the rebirth of an Albanian cultural consciousness," Tajani continued.
"I thank Albania's president Bajram Begaj and the Arbereshe community who lives in Italy for sharing this occasion," Tajani underlined.
The surrounding Calabria region is home to a 58,000-strong Arbereshe community - Italy's largest - and Tajani met some of its members during his visit to Pallagorio.
Tajani and Begaj held talks on Thursday evening in nearby Torre Melissa which focused on cementing Italy and Albania's "extraordinary friendship", "strong cooperation" - especially on migration - and "solid" trade ties, Tajani said in a statement afterwards.