The minister welcomed the reaffirmation of enlargement as a geostrategic investment in Europe’s peace, security, stability and prosperity. He also highlighted the importance of the merit-based principle in the accession process, under which each candidate country advances according to its own achievements and progress.

“We welcome the clear reaffirmation that enlargement is a geostrategic investment in Europe’s peace, security, stability and prosperity. This is an important message at a time when the European Union must further strengthen its unity, capacity to act and European sovereignty. We also welcome the reaffirmation of the merit-based principle, under which each candidate country advances in the accession process on the basis of its own progress,” Hoxha said.

According to Hoxha, Albania has been and remains fully committed to pressing ahead with reforms, particularly in the rule of law, and fulfilling all commitments and obligations arising from the accession negotiations.
He added that the country’s progress “will be measured and assessed on the basis of our work, performance and results”.
Hoxha stressed that enlargement is now at the heart of Europe’s strategic agenda and that the prospect of new members joining the EU is becoming increasingly tangible.

In this context, he stressed that “for Albania, as one of the frontrunners in this process, the response must be clear: to continue reforms and negotiations without delay, with determination and responsibility, in order to achieve full readiness for membership”.
“This is a historic opportunity for Albania and the Albanian people. We have never been closer to realising our greatest and most enduring national aspiration, the long-standing demand of young people and Albanian society as a whole: Albania in Europe,” he said.
However, he underlined that membership “is not a gift. It must be earned through work, reforms, results, responsibility and accountability”.

“The road to this point has required considerable energy, effort and sacrifice. Albania has shown that it has the energy, the ability and the commitment,” Hoxha said.
He added that “precisely because we have waited so long, and because we know that such opportunities in history do not remain open forever, we cannot afford to let this moment pass us by”.
“The EU’s outstretched hand must be grasped firmly, as we move forward side by side towards accession. Having learned the lessons of the past, we cannot and must not allow this transformative chapter in our modern history, the most important for our present and future, to become the story of yet another missed opportunity,” Hoxha said.

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Quoting Jean Monnet, Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha said that ‘people accept change only when faced with necessity, and recognise necessity only when confronted with crisis’. He added that recent developments have underscored the importance of the political and security dimensions of the enlargement process.

The EU project and enlargement are also political and geopolitical necessities and must be treated as such, Hoxha said. He underlined that this is crucial for being proactive, as it concerns peace, security, stability, resilience and the shared future. Hoxha stressed that enlargement is not simply about increasing the number of EU member states but about investing in collective security.

Referring to the war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha said Russian aggression has shown that peace and security cannot be taken for granted. ‘An incomplete Europe is a weak Europe,’ he declared, stressing that Albania’s European choice is a strategic national decision, not the product of circumstances or political convenience. ‘Europe is not a destination for us; Europe is home, and we want to return home,’ the minister added. Hoxha underlined that Albania is not seeking favours or shortcuts in the accession process, but a fair, credible and merit‑based path.

Foreign Minister Hoxha said Albania seeks a fair, credible and merit‑based EU accession process, stressing that the principle of merit is vital to the enlargement’s credibility. He noted Albania aims to close as many negotiating clusters as possible this year, with the ambition of completing all by the end of next year.

Foreign Minister Hoxha underlined that EU accession cannot be reduced to a calendar date, but requires raising readiness to embrace the European project from the outset. He said the priority must be the implementation of reforms and their tangible impact on citizens’ lives, noting that while negotiations take place in Brussels, reforms must be implemented at home. If reforms are not felt by citizens, he warned, the process risks becoming abstract.

Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha said reforms must be felt in every city and community through better services, stronger protection for young people, a more competitive economy and higher welfare standards. ‘This is the true meaning of the accession process for us,’ he declared. Hoxha also underlined the importance of involving the entire Western Balkans in European integration, stressing that countries willing to join should be given the chance to move forward. He welcomed ideas on regional integration and differentiated speeds in the process, but called for a practical understanding of these concepts and direct links between the region’s states and the EU.

Hoxha reaffirmed that Albania’s commitment to EU integration is irreversible, declaring that membership is the country’s only plan. He said reforms will continue not only to advance accession but also to drive Albania’s development and improve citizens’ lives. Hoxha concluded that the future of a safer, more complete European Union includes Albania.

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