TIRANA, July 14 /ATA/ – Albania is expected to close its first three European Union accession chapters at the ninth Albania-EU Intergovernmental Conference on Monday, in what EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos described as a “super Tuesday” for the bloc’s enlargement process.
The conference is set to formalise the provisional closure of Chapter 25 (Science and Research), Chapter 26 (Education and Culture) and Chapter 30 (External Relations), marking the first chapters Albania has completed since accession negotiations began.
“Today is a ‘super Tuesday’ for EU enlargement. For the first time in more than two decades, we are holding four accession conferences on the same day. The four frontrunners – Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro – are all taking major steps forward on their path towards EU membership,” Kos told reporters.
She said the EU was opening negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on Cluster 6, covering areas including external relations as well as foreign, security and defence policy, where, she said, “the case for their EU membership is particularly strong.”
“Albania will close its first negotiating chapters, while Montenegro has entered the final stage of formal negotiations, having already closed 18 of its 33 chapters. Today’s momentum must now translate into tangible results on the ground,” Kos said.
/u.sh/
