TIRANA, Nov 5 /ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama said today that Albania’s European Union integration process should not be viewed merely as a political or diplomatic objective, but above all as a process aimed at improving the living standards of Albanian citizens.
Speaking at a press conference alongside the EU Ambassador to Albania, Sofia Moreira de Sousa, following the handover of the Progress Report on Albania, Rama highlighted the importance of European integration for citizens’ future and for creating equal opportunities across the country.
The Prime Minister pointed out that Albanians had long faced a significant gap between the opportunities available abroad and those at home, prompting many families to see emigration as their best chance of securing a better quality of life.
“For many families, emigration has offered the prospect of better employment, better education, better healthcare or simply a more reliable relationship with the state,” Rama said.
He stressed that this reality must be taken into account in every discussion about Albania’s EU accession process, as its essence lies not merely in meeting European criteria, but in transforming the Albanian state in line with the standards of EU member states.
“At its core, this entire process is not about Brussels, Paris or Berlin, or all of them combined. It is about building a European state in Albania, where Albanians can enjoy the institutions, economic opportunities and legal certainty, and raise their children here in the same way as they would in Europe,” the Prime Minister said.
According to Rama, citizens should understand the EU accession negotiations in terms of the tangible benefits they bring to their everyday lives, regardless of whether they live in Albania or abroad.
He stressed that improving the living standards of Albanians was precisely the main reason behind his commitment to the European integration process.
Rama said that improving Albanians’ living standards was the main driving force behind his commitment to EU integration, describing the Progress Report as an objective recognition of the country’s significant progress towards membership.
/a.f/r.e/sm/
