TIRANA, June 18 /ATA/ PM Edi Rama in his address to the Western Balkans forum organized by “ Financial Times” entitled: “Investment opportunities in a fast growing region” has clearly set out the process of integration as the only tool, avenue, instrument to build a functioning state with all the tools guaranteeing fulfillment of rights for all and service provision for all citizens.
Speaking about the process of accession, Rama said: There is one reason behind the pace of integration from the communist period to EU and there is one reason why countries like Poland or Czech Republic, Slovakia and others have achieved results faster than our country, and this reason is related to their past, the history of their institutions. They found it much easier to re-establish their connection with the history of state institutions after the collapse of communism.
In our region, the history of institutions is less generous, however let me speak in optimistic tones about us, EU accession is a process meant to build institutions, the state, it is not a process of coming back to values of the past as was in other countries that were rebuilt faster, it is a process of linking in with the future.
It is more or less like marriage, with all saying it is not as fabulous as it looks, but you want to get married anyway. Then it is up to you to take the decision,” Rama said.
“By the way, what is happening now in Britain shows that divorce is far more difficult than marriage, I would say, for us, the European perspective is indispensable. On the other hand, Ana touched on hypocrisy a little bit and there is a lot of hypocrisy, there is a lot of humiliation, because the work we do is becoming less and less important, while the dynamics of various European countries is under the spotlight.”
The matter of the fact is that the EC report was issued at the end of May due to European elections. Why should the report on our achievements be tied to EU elections?
“EU is a blessing, because it makes us look different from other countries that fall far behind us, changing the life and perspectives of our youths. What is the difference between a young man in Skopje, Belgrade or Tirana and his peer in Mosul, Kandahar or elsewhere? Europe! The fact that you live in a space with a great future ahead and you have the opportunity to dream big,” he said.
This effort is worth it and we will go to the last, regardless of disappointments, hypocrisy, humiliation and double standards. If you look at the Netherlands, where Albanians become the target of criticism whenever elections take place. A few weeks ago I came across the headline ”Albanian gangs dismantled” however when I went over the story I found out that the gang members included Belgians, Moroccans, Dutch and only two Albanians. The issue lies with ill-intentioned European policy,” PM concludes his argument.
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