Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, in an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF, emphasized that Albania remains committed to concluding EU accession negotiations by the end of 2027, aiming for full membership by 2030.
“EU membership is a historic opportunity, but it’s not one that will remain open forever if we fail to meet the requirements,” Rama stated.
He noted that the geopolitical context shaped by the war in Ukraine has accelerated the need for EU enlargement.
“Unfortunately, it took Vladimir Putin’s ‘help’ to restart integration processes that had long been neglected,” he added.
When asked about skepticism among some EU member states toward further enlargement, Rama responded that Albania must focus on fulfilling its commitments rather than on the final outcome.
“We must concentrate on the tasks at hand, not the next match — but the one we are playing now.”
On whether the Albanian administration has the capacity to meet EU obligations within set deadlines, Rama was optimistic. He highlighted the adoption of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, as tools for accelerating the alignment of Albania’s legal system with EU standards.
“We are now using artificial intelligence, which speeds up the transfer of EU laws into our legal system.”
