TIRANA, March 30 /ATA/ Minister of State and Chief Negotiator Majlinda Dhuka stated on Monday that Albania is on the right path toward joining the European family, aiming to meet the conditions and criteria for accession by the end of 2027.
Speaking at a meeting attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama, ministers, and deputy ministers of the government, Dhuka said, “Albania is advancing steadily and consistently toward the European family, both in terms of technical preparations and in the political commitment to reforms by the government and all institutions.
“Albania has received support from the European Union, both from the European Commission and the member states. Nevertheless, much work remains to be done by 2027, and beyond, until the end of the decade, when we aspire to have fulfilled the criteria to join the European family,” Dhuka said.
According to Dhuka, over the past year, Albania has initiated negotiations across all clusters of chapters at a systematic pace, progressing with one cluster every two to three months. She emphasized that keeping the momentum is essential to achieving the objectives set by the country.
“The interim benchmarks represent specific reform and targets, particularly regarding security and public order, the fight against crime and organized crime, justice, and human rights. All ministers and negotiators have largely met these benchmarks, and Albania concluded this phase in January of this year. Albania also received a positive assessment from the European Commission in February, while during March, member states have been discussing weekly Albania’s fulfilment of conditions on rule of law, security, and human rights. We await with confidence and patience the assessment of the member states in the coming weeks,” she emphasized.
Minister Dhuka stated, “After receiving the positive assessment from the member states, Albania should advance to the next phase, namely the sequential closure of chapters, comprising a total of 33 chapters.”
She further explained, “We have commenced work on fulfilling the conditions required for chapter closures. Upon the opening of accession negotiations, the EU provided Albania with the criteria to conclude negotiations for 31 of the 33 chapters. The remaining two chapters, covering justice and public order, will be granted to Albania following the approval of the interim benchmarks report, which is currently underway,” Dhuka added.
Dhuka emphasized that Albania’s approach is proactive and coordinated across multiple institutions, ensuring that reform outcomes are delivered on schedule. She described the work as complex but manageable, with only a few cases presenting inherent challenges.
“The work involves 157 institutions at two levels: within Albania and at the EU level. Of particular importance is ensuring that each reform is accepted by both stakeholders and the public, as well as by the implementing institutions, the Parliament, and the European Commission. Albania has fulfilled 24 interim benchmarks, but still has 92 critical gaps. To date, the country has received 101 conditions for the closure of negotiations, having already met the 24 interim benchmarks,” Dhuka said.
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