TIRANA, Oct. 13 /ATA/ – Albania has taken another step towards closer cooperation with the European Union by formally associating with the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, ahead of a meeting expected to mark the provisional closure of another chapter in its EU accession negotiations on Tuesday.
The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha took part in a meeting held within the framework of the EU General Affairs Council, where the formal association of Albania, alongside other Western Balkan partners and candidate countries, with the centre was agreed.
Co-organised by the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission, the meeting marked the beginning of a new phase of cooperation, bringing partner countries into the centre’s practical work to counter foreign information manipulation, disinformation and interference (FIMI) and threats to democratic processes.
Speaking in Luxembourg, Hoxha described the decision as another important milestone in Albania’s path towards EU membership.
He said it represented a concrete example of gradual integration in practice, built on shared challenges, joint responses, collective responsibility and a common contribution to a stronger and more resilient Europe.
“Albania has gained valuable experience in responding to cyberattacks and strengthening institutional resilience. We are ready to further develop this expertise and put it at the service of our joint efforts with European partners,” Hoxha said.
“At the same time, we are increasingly confronting foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), a challenge that has proved particularly complex. It targets not only systems, but also trust; not only institutions, but the very foundations and fabric of democratic debate,” he added.
Referring to an international conference on FIMI and the enlargement process organised by Albania’s Foreign Ministry in Tirana on July 27, Hoxha also stressed the need for a stronger, more coordinated approach to public communication.
“A whole-of-society response can succeed only when society itself is informed, aware and engaged. When citizens across Europe see EU member states and candidate countries working side by side to protect democratic resilience, they understand enlargement for what it truly is: a shared investment in our common future,” he said.
“For Albania, democratic resilience and EU membership are inseparable,” Hoxha added.
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