Rama made the remarks during a ceremony marking the signing of a new financing agreement between the European Investment Bank and Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania aimed at supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

“Albania has never had a Plan B. Albania has never looked in another direction,” Rama said.

“There is no alternative to individual freedom and the rule of law, meaning equality before the law,” he added.

Rama said Albania’s historical experience had shown the dangers of alternative political models lacking democratic freedoms and legal equality.

“We have learned through our own history that every possible Plan B or C is a plan without individual freedom and without equality before the law,” he said. “We lived through that for a long time and we do not even want to imagine returning to those times.”

The government head also stressed that Albania’s accession process involved more than simply adopting legislation, saying the EU offered expertise and institutional knowledge unavailable elsewhere.

“The European Union offers knowledge that nobody else in the world possesses, and this is our blessing, this is our opportunity,” Rama said.

He said Albania had made significant progress despite ongoing challenges, while acknowledging that further reforms were needed before the country could join the bloc.

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The delegation met with Prime Minister Edi Rama, Chief Negotiator Majlinda Dhuka, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs Igli Hasani, and Deputy Chair Albana Vokshi.

In a statement on social media, the EU Delegation in Tirana said that “the EU 27 reiterated their seriousness and commitment to Albania’s EU path – a process based on merit and the implementation of tangible and sustainable reforms.”

The COELA mission is in Tirana this week, accompanied by representatives of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, as part of a fact-finding visit to assess Albania’s progress in accession talks.

During the visit, member state representatives will hold meetings with Albanian institutions to evaluate reform achievements and discuss the next steps in the integration process.

Albania has opened 28 negotiation chapters within just 11 months, with the last four opened on September 16 during the Sixth Intergovernmental Conference with the EU.

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“Albania remains dedicated to actively contributing to the fight against ISIS and promoting open, harmonious inter-religious societies,” Hasani said.

Foreign Minister also expressed appreciation to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for hosting “this pivotal meeting, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.”

A joint statement adopted by the foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which market the 10th anniversary of the Coalition, called on the partner countries to withdraw their nationals currently at Al-Hol and Roj camps and continue supporting Iraq security forces by contributing the NATO-led Mission (NMI).

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