Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has declared his country’s commitment to regional cooperation, asserting that Albania is closer than ever to European Union membership.
Speaking at the Western Balkans-EU Summit in Skopje, Rama stated that Albania has fulfilled all the necessary points for implementing reforms within the framework of the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkan countries.
He expressed confidence that Albania is performing exceptionally well and has never been closer to achieving its centuries-old aspiration for membership in the European bloc. “Today, we are here for another stop on our common journey, related to the implementation of the New Growth Plan—a plan which is progressing as it should and bringing us closer to connecting more with the European Union,” he said. “We are very proud, because we have practically fulfilled, so far, all points for implementation and are continuing with other points according to the calendar. We have never been closer to realizing a centuries-old aspiration, I would say, and on the other hand, I am glad that there is a generally positive atmosphere in this regard. We are very close.”
EU Commissioner Commends Albania’s Progress
EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood, Marta Kos, also congratulated Albania, stating that the country could potentially conclude all EU accession chapters this year.
The latest Western Balkans summit with high-level EU representatives on the Union’s Growth Plan for the regional countries was held in Skopje, North Macedonia, on Tuesday. The Growth Plan is a new EU framework designed to accelerate reforms for the entire region’s European integration. It combines reforms with direct financial contributions from EU funds to the budgets of beneficiary countries and investment projects.
