“I have just informed the chancellor that our approach will remain unchanged until the European Council meeting in June. In case we are blocked again because of Bulgaria, then based on the widespread support of public opinion towards the option of decoupling from Macedonia during the National Consultation process, we will shift our approach and speak in another language with regard to Albania and the need of Albania to be separated from North Macedonia, ” said Rama.
He stressed that the Chancellor was optimistic about the change in Bulgaria’s condition.

“I am not so optimistic, however, I wish I was wrong and the chancellor was right,” he added.
Asked if he would be able to enable the opening of accession negotiations in the third term of office, Rama said “these are things that do not hinge on a person.”

“These events are related to the will of others, the will of other countries, because if it were for me and Albania the negotiations would have been opened about three or four years ago. We deserved it long ago. The fact that they are not opened, they are not formally opened, but statements have suggested otherwise that we decide to open them, but we are not sitting at the table, it does not relate to me or to us, it relates to them. So when you tell me who brought Albania into NATO, I cannot but laugh as Konica used to say, the truth is that Albania became a NATO member thanks to the US,” he said.

Rama said that “Albania has previously deserved the official opening of negotiations and to sit at the negotiating table for EU membership.”
/sm/