TIRANA, Oct 13 /ATA/ The head of EU Delegation Christiane Hohmann stated on Thursday that Albania has maintained its record of 100% alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy.
At a joint press conference alongside Deputy PM, Belinda Balluku, Hohmann said that yesterday, the European Commission adopted its 2022 enlargement package, including the annual report on Albania.
“This morning, it is my pleasure to hand over the report to the government. Later today and tomorrow, I will have the opportunity to hand over the report to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and to the State Minister/Chief Negotiator, as well as to the President of the Republic and the Speaker of the Assembly.
Next Monday, I will present the key findings of the annual report to the National Council of European Integration. I am also planning to present the findings to civil society organisations and business representatives next week.
The new geopolitical reality, with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, has brought the EU and the Western Balkans closer together and has required full solidarity with one another. This situation has once again put EU enlargement to the fore of the European agenda.
“ The war has demonstrated more clearly than ever that the perspective of membership of the EU is a strong anchor not only for prosperity, but also for peace and security,” Hohmann said.
“The first fundamental point that I would like to emphasise is that in this challenging context, Albania has taken a very clear stance about its strategic orientation and about its role as a reliable partner of the EU. As outlined in the Commission report, Albania has maintained its record of 100% alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including with EU sanctions following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The report also acknowledges the important role played by Albania in the UN Security Council since January 2022 in defending the rules-based international order.
“The second fundamental point of course is that on 19 July, with the holding of the first Intergovernmental Conference on accession negotiations, Albania opened a new phase towards its EU accession. This is a very important achievement and the result of years of reform efforts.”
“The Commission immediately moved to starting the screening process, which is the first step of the accession negotiations. Screening meetings are already well underway. We do not want to lose a single moment,” she said.
This year’s Commission report on Albania has therefore a particular relevance. It provides a fair assessment of where the country stands, outlining areas where there has been good progress, areas where more needs to be done, and -very importantly- it provides clear guidance on reforms steps that Albania should take to advance faster on its European path.
As a negotiating country, Albania enters the “premiere league”. This means that it has an opportunity to catch up, but it also means that it will be under increased scrutiny on reforms. Strong political leadership will be essential to deliver the reforms that will be required to advance in the negotiation process.
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