TIRANA, April 10 /ATA/-By Maela Marini/ Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha has dismissed claims that the country’s EU accession negotiations have stalled. Speaking at a press conference in Tirana, he said the process was running normally and insisted there was no blockage or suspension.
Hoxha gave a detailed account of the progress made so far, describing claims of a freeze as part of domestic political debate rather than a reflection of the actual state of negotiations.
He described the process as normal, rational, professional, and highly demanding — more rigorous for Albania than for any previous candidate country entering the path to membership.
Minister Hoxha clarified concerns regarding transparency, emphasizing that such issues pertain specifically to Albania’s negotiating positions within the EU accession process. He underscored that the conduct of negotiations remains professional, rigorous, and in line with established procedures.
Minister Hoxha stated that Albania has prepared a negotiating position for each cluster opening, developed through serious consultations and close cooperation with the European Commission. He emphasized that, under legislation adopted in 2015, these negotiating positions are classified as reserved documents. In accordance with this legal framework, reserved information is not made public, thereby safeguarding the integrity and confidentiality of the negotiation process.
Minister Hoxha underlined that the European Commission has prepared and submitted its report to the Council. He noted that member states naturally hold differing positions and stressed that it would be unprecedented for all 27 states to receive such an assessment without raising questions. He explained that this questioning period typically lasts between four and eight weeks, and Albania is currently within that phase. Hoxha added that responses to member states’ inquiries are provided directly by the European Commission.
Hoxha explained that Albania is not directly engaged at the negotiating table during this stage of the EU accession process, since the European Commission is responsible for responding to member states’ questions. He stressed the need to understand the nature of the exercise, the time it requires, and Albania’s current role of waiting while the Commission handles inquiries./j.p/sm/
