TIRANA, June 18 /ATA/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama said Thursday that the European Union is the one to set a date when the first intergovernmental conference will convene for the formal start of the accession negotiations and Albania should to do its homework.
In his remarks at the presentation of diplomat Zef Mazi as Albania’s chief negotiator for the EU accession talks, the government head also voiced readiness to meet President Ilir Meta on any issue concerning the country’s EU integration and other issues, “except for setting an election date based on an imaginary constitution.”
Asked by reporters during the presentation at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs whether he had ever invited President Meta to discuss EU integration, PM Rama said: “Integration is a process which includes an action map, various stations, bridges of interaction and in this respect I can confirm, yes we have been together at the National Council for EU Integration and I will be there at any station where my presence is needed. The President will make his own choice and I am sure he will attend next meetings.”
Answering to the question about the date when the intergovernmental conference would convene, Rama said experience had taught him to never set a date when it comes to EU.
“It is them the ones who set the date or changes dates. Enough with the two marriages we prepared for while the other side didn’t show up. I am glad that it is now clear that the marriage postponement had nothing to do with Albania, but it had to do with them. The conference will convene when they decide to call it, while we should just do our homework, which we do not for the sake of the conference, but because they are things that need to be done for the country and well-functioning of the institutions. This is the good side of this process,’ he said
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