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TIRANA, April 24 /ATA/ – Albania sees EC recommendation for opening of accession negotiations not as a finish line but as a starting point for a new, yet more difficult stage towards the EU membership.
PM Edi Rama, at a joint news conference with President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said: We look forward to continuing down this road and have the full support of all member states for this recommendation.
“We are fully aware of all the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead of us in this process, just as we are fully confident that these challenges and difficulties are surmountable through this process of cooperation and inter-action between us, European Commission and member countries,” Rama said.
PM Rama added that the meeting touched on one of the key features of the process and main achievements of the country in this process, justice reform and results of vetting, but also other reforms.
Rama expressed his heartfelt thanks to President Tusk just because he belongs to the school of faith in Europe, decent representatives of the founding fathers of EU project and just because he belongs to the circle of friends and partners who have continuously encouraged and supported the process of Albania’s transformation.
To us, this project is about the future of our country, other generations and construction of European Albania.
This is a process in which we are involved not because it is another party that asks us to do so, the truth of the matter is that this is a project in our national interest and of our children.
PM said that the meeting with President Tusk focused on regional cooperation and inter-action. “This transformation process of the region is related to the region’s perspective,” Rama said.
Tusk: Integration of Albania and entire region in the interest of EU
It is in the interest of EU that Albania and the whole region of the Western Balkans be fully integrated in EU.
President of the European Council , Donald Tusk, started his remarks by describing himself as a devoted friend of Albanian nation and congratulated the Albanian people on the EC recommendation for opening the accession negotiations.
According to him, this shows that Albania has made great efforts and is getting ready to start one of the country’s most historic projects ever.
When my country started similar talks around 20 years ago, we all knew there was a lot to change in Poland. My dream is for Albania to feel the same path as Poland in the EU. With your proud history, with Scanderbeg that defended Europe from the Ottoman Empire, I have no doubt that you will make it,” he said.
EU integration, according to Tusk, is a process that will not happen overnight, there are many challenges on the way. He lauded the ambitious reforms launched in Albania, adding: You have done enough to start the accession negotiations.
“This is my opinion and I am not alone in this conviction. Another challenge is to persuade all member countries in June to start the negotiations. I am aware that this process will resemble an obstacle race rather than a highway,” Tusk said, expressing his conviction that EU and the Western Balkans belong to the same place.
Today I feel optimistic when speaking about this long-term perspective and cautious about the short-term perspective.
Tusk: 78% of Albanian exports go to EU
President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, pointed out that EU is the principal trade partner and main donor of Albania.
According to him, 78% of Albanian exports go to EU compared with only 3% of Albanian exports to China, 1% to Turkey and 0% to Russia.
“My visit here today in Tirana is the first stop of a weekly tour to the Balkans in the run-up to Sofia summit where we are about to re-affirm the European perspective of the Western Balkans. But it is important to define the ways and means to improve connections within the region,” Tusk said.
Albania and the Western Balkan countries should be fully integrated in the European corridors of transport.
Tusk appealed for investments to ward off power outages. He stressed that the youths from the region should have more opportunities to study in EU.
“We need to step up our joint efforts for cultural exchanges. To encourage cooperation, we do not need to wait until EU enlargement. Let me get this clear: This programme of connectivity is not an alternative to enlargement, it is the best way to make use of the time between the present and the future in the most effective way,” he said.
The Sofia summit , according to Tusk, will be a great opportunity to discuss the joint security challenges.
Tusk took the opportunity to highly appreciate the Albanian solidarity with EU and member countries in their geopolitical challenges as in the case of attack on Skripal.
“Albania is one of EU’s staunchest allies in this context,” Tusk said.
He praised religious tolerance and co-habitation in Albania as highly important for the world to date. These are the foundations upon which we will build the common future. I have a feeling that you are more European here than some Europeans in EU,” Tusk said.
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