Albania has officially opened the third negotiation cluster with the European Union, bringing the total to four out of six clusters opened marking significant momentum in its EU integration journey. The latest cluster, titled “Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth”, was launched during the 5th Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels. Representing Albania at the conference were Foreign Minister Igli Hasani, Chief Negotiator Majlinda Dhuka, and Minister Adea Pirdeni.
Notably, Albania’s progress now places it ahead of Serbia in the order of negotiations. Serbia, despite having opened negotiations in 2014, has yet to open all chapters a milestone Albania is steadily approaching.
Foreign Minister Hasani emphasized that this milestone reflects Albania’s merit-based progress: “The opening of Chapter Cluster 3 marks a new cornerstone. Opening 8 new chapters today shows just how much we have achieved in a very short time. Our journey toward the EU has never been clearer or more determined,” said Hasani.
Prime Minister Edi Rama also praised the pace of integration efforts, noting that in just 8 months, 24 chapters have been opened, leaving only 11 remaining. “Albania’s road to the EU continues without interruption,” Rama wrote on Facebook. “This exceptional pace reflects both our internal commitment and the EU’s support toward reaching our shared goal of closing negotiations by 2027.”
