PM Rama held a joint press conference with Ambassador of the European Union Delegation Sofia Moreira de Sousa who officially presented the European Commission’s progress report on Albania.

The prime minister emphasized that Albania has now entered the final stretch of its accession negotiations.

“This is the most positive progress report Albania has ever received, proving that your mission representing the EU here is off to an excellent start. For a long time, the narrative around Albania’s European journey was defined by anticipation—waiting for candidate status, the opening of negotiations, or intermediate milestones. Today, this EC report outlines a definitive roadmap. The focus has shifted from what we are waiting for to the concrete steps we must take to finish the journey,” said Rama. The prime minister emphasized that Albania’s European future is now entirely in our own hands.

“This is the main takeaway from the report: Albania has entered the final stretch of its EU accession negotiations. However, this final stretch is a marathon of details—a thousand meters where every single centimeter counts and must be carefully covered,” said Rama.

According to him, the report indicates that compared to last year, Albania has made significant progress in at least 20 negotiating chapters.

Furthermore, the prime minister highlighted that the report highlights progress in numerous areas—ranging from the economy, digital transformation, energy and education to the alignment of national legislation with EU standards. /r.e/p.s./

Addressing Prime Minister Edi Rama, Moreira de Sousa emphasized that, “This message reflects the genuine and robust work of your government and your negotiating team, as well as your continued commitment to the path toward the EU membership. All negotiating chapters have been opened, and four of them have been provisionally closed.”

However, she underscored that the continuation of this process requires sustained effort and concrete results.

Regarding the judiciary, corruption and organized crime, Moreira de Sousa noted that the report highlights good progress, specifically highlighting the work of SPAK (Special Prosecution Office).

The EU report also raises concerns regarding the democratic situation in the country. According to the ambassador, Albania continues to face a polarized political climate, limited Parliamentary oversight of the government and a lack of meaningful public consultation.

“To meet OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, urgent electoral reform is required. This process must be inclusive, extending beyond the two major parties that currently dominate the special parliamentary committee,” she said.

Regarding fundamental rights, Moreira de Sousa welcomed the adoption of new laws on gender equality and violence against women, emphasizing that the challenge now lies in their practical implementation.

As for media freedom, the ambassador noted that, “Defamation has been partially decriminalized.”

According to her standpoint, this is a step in the right direction, but it is not sufficient on its own.

Another issue the ambassador addressed was the environment. She stated that the 2024 amendments to the Law on Protected Areas, along with repeated extensions of the Law on Strategic Investments, have led to a deterioration in nature conservation. Moreira de Sousa indicated that the project planned for Zvërnec would also be evaluated in accordance with European Union standards.

Speaking about the protests that began in late May—initially sparked by environmental concerns and subsequently evolving into a movement demanding transparency, accountability, fight against corruption and more—the ambassador stated that peaceful protests are an integral part of democratic life. She stated that democracy rejects violence, adding that any legal response to violent acts must remain strictly proportionate. She called for addressing grievances through inclusive dialogue instead.

Regarding Albania’s objective to conclude negotiations by the end of 2027, the ambassador clarified that the recently received roadmap does not carry any new conditions. Moreira de Sousa stressed that achieving this goal will depend on implementation of reforms and the delivery of concrete results.

In conclusion, she reiterated that, “Albania has made great strides, and while the journey isn’t over yet, the European Union remains committed to supporting every step of the way.” /m.q/a.f/r.e/p.s./

Speaking at a joint news conference with EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa, Rama said the European Commission’s annual report on Albania’s progress was primarily an assessment of the government’s performance.

“The progress report is, first and foremost, a reflection of the government’s work. Anyone who wants to know how the government is performing can read the report and find its report card there,” Rama said.

He said he was pleased with the assessment, arguing that the country’s achievements were not adequately reflected in public debate.

“This report card makes me happy because it clearly shows that Albania has made significant progress, which, unfortunately, Albanians are unable to recognise through television screens and public disinformation channels,” Rama said.

The prime minister said the government continued to work towards what he described as the historic goal of securing Albania’s membership in the European Union.

“The government remains fully engaged and continues to work every day, as I have said before, towards precisely this objective, which brings us together here today for this special news conference. Our historic goal is the country’s full integration into Europe, and we must not allow a historic opportunity to slip away – an opportunity we have created through an enormous amount of work, but which has also been helped by what I call, and what you referred to, the alignment of the stars in favour of Albania and the Albanian people,” Rama said.

Asked by journalists about accusations made by Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, Rama dismissed the issue, comparing it to passing traffic noise.

“Everything else is like the noise of cars coming and going along the boulevard. Just as little importance as that has for those of us gathered here, that is how much importance the issues you asked about have for me,” he said.

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During the meeting, Hoxha presented the progress Albania has made on its path toward EU membership—as reflected in the European Commission’s Progress Report—as well as the key priorities of its reform and development agenda.

“Our ambition to conclude accession negotiations by the end of 2027—an objective now also reflected in the European Commission’s roadmap—is demanding, but achievable. It is grounded in our determination to work hard, deliver the necessary reforms and meet every standard required for membership. At the same time, we are equally clear-eyed about the challenges that remain, the lessons we must draw from them and the considerable work still ahead,” stated Hoxha.

The minister emphasized that, “Albania today is profoundly different from the country that began this European journey.” “Our direction has long been defined, our strategic choice is irreversible and our destination is clear.

So too is our determination to do whatever it takes to earn Albania’s rightful place around the European table. We ask for no shortcuts and no favors. We ask to be judged on our merits, our reforms and our results,” said Hoxha.

According to the foreign minister, joining the European Union is not just about what Albania stands to gain from Europe.

“It is equally about what Albania brings to Europe: security and stability, full strategic alignment, a strong European conviction, and a country ready to assume its responsibilities as a future member state.”

The foreign minister emphasized that throughout this journey, Germany’s support, engagement and trust have been and remain invaluable to us.

“I thank Chair Hofreiter and all the members of the Committee for the warm welcome and contribution to a substantive discussion. We know where we are going. We know what remains to be done. And we are determined to get there,” said Hoxha. /a.f/r.e/p.s./

The meeting focused on the IMF’s upcoming assessment of public investment efficiency in the country, detailed in a report the Fund will publish soon.

During the meeting, there were highlighted the progress and significant improvements Albania has achieved in recent years regarding the planning and management of public investments.

Albania’s public investments have sustained a robust 6.5% of GDP, a trend projected to continue as the nation advances its European Union accession. Future allocations will target critical sectors, including transport, energy, digitalization, and climate resilience. Furthermore, Finance Minister Malaj highlighted that an IMF assessment ranks Albania on par with EU member states and advanced global economies in public investment planning and management.

This improvement is reflected in key elements of public finance management, including budgetary discipline, fund allocation methods and increased transparency and competitiveness in public procurement.

“Public funds are being invested more effectively today,” Malaj noted, stressing that this is not merely an assessment by Albanian institutions, but progress also recognized by international bodies such as the International Monetary Fund.

This progress is particularly significant as it directly relates to how state budget funds are utilized for investments in sectors vital to citizens, such as infrastructure, healthcare and education.

Minister Malaj highlighted the importance of the transparent and competitive use of public funds—especially for investments in roads, hospitals or schools—emphasizing that simply allocating funds in the budget is not enough. It is important that these funds be utilized as efficiently as possible and that every lek spent yields the greatest possible added value for citizens.

The IMF’s assessment serves as a positive indicator of the progress achieved in this regard; however, as Minister Malaj emphasized, while this is good news, the work is far from over. The objective remains to continue reforms and further strengthen the mechanisms that ensure the most efficient planning and management of public investments.

In this context, the Ministry of Finance will continue its efforts to ensure that every lek of Albanian citizens’ money and every public investment generates greater development, higher-quality services and increased value for Albania. /p.s./

Speaking at an interparliamentary conference attended by representatives of Albanian institutions, the European Parliament and European national parliaments, Rama highlighted Albania’s progress towards EU integration as well as current political developments.

Rama referred to the so-called “flamingo revolution,” saying it was an example of the broader shift in expectations taking place in Albania.

“When we talk about these moments in Albania, I am sure you have had quite a lot of fun recently with the flamingos. Although I am not sure whether you will find them, or whether they will be as beautiful as they look in the Instagram photos shared by your colleagues,” Rama said.

“But I am referring to them because they are the best example of this moment we are going through in Albania,” he said.

Rama said the country had moved from an era when people tended to think things could always get worse to a new era in which they believed things could get better.

“We are living through this moment in history that has been defined as a revolution of rising expectations. People have realised that the country is capable of reaching even higher. People have realised that the country can become completely different. People have realised that many things are changing and that there is visible development for everyone,” Rama said.

At the same time, Rama said people had questions and that it was natural for those questions to be accompanied by anxiety in the current climate.

“This great confusion between freedom of speech and freedom of access has created a kind of pressure stemming from a great deal of inaccurate news and many conspiracy theories, which have increased the heavy social burden,” he said.

The conference, titled “Strategic Agenda for EU Enlargement and Albania’s Accession”, is being held in Tirana from Sept. 27 to 29, bringing together representatives of parliaments and institutions from EU member states, candidate countries and potential candidates.

The conference’s three thematic sessions focus on the EU enlargement agenda and Albania’s path to membership; enlargement as a strategic factor for reforms, stability and security; and parliamentary leadership and engagement in advancing European integration.

The conference aims to brief participating parliaments on Albania’s progress towards membership, strengthen parliamentary cooperation and support from EU member-state parliaments for the integration process, consolidate partnerships with candidate countries, and provide a forum for parliamentary committees on European affairs and other actors involved in enlargement policy to put forward their comments and recommendations.

Discussions are also focusing on the progress of the enlargement process, the experiences and challenges of candidate countries and the role of parliaments in advancing European integration, in support of Albania’s strategic goal of concluding accession negotiations by the end of 2027 and joining the EU by 2030.

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During a meeting in Brussels with European Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall, Jaupaj outlined progress made and ongoing work under Chapter 27, covering environment and climate change.

“A year of work to bring Albania closer to European environmental standards,” Jaupaj said, highlighting reforms and investment aimed at delivering concrete results and gradually aligning the country with EU standards.

Chapter 27 covers EU policies and standards on environmental protection, climate change and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Jaupaj said strengthening environmental standards remained an important part of Albania’s EU integration process.

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Macdonald said Albania had reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating progress towards the 2030 Agenda, with the aim of ensuring that the benefits of development reach all citizens.

According to data published by the UN, Albania’s poverty rate has fallen from 23.7% to 19%, while the under-five mortality rate has been halved. More than 95% of public services are now available online, while the vast majority of electricity is generated from renewable sources.

Women hold 35% of seats in parliament and nearly half of ministerial positions, while Albania ranks 44th globally in the 2026 SDG Index, the UN said.

Prime Minister Edi Rama also attended the New York event, where he highlighted the importance of the 2030 Agenda and reforms linked to Albania’s European Union accession process, according to the UN.

The UN also welcomed the Albanian government’s investment in the SDG Acceleration Fund for Albania, describing it as a commitment to translating development goals into concrete results for citizens and communities.

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In a social media post, Karakaçi highlighted progress on major investments across the country, saying work was continuing at full pace to complete projects expected to improve connectivity and public infrastructure.

Among the key road projects is the widening of the Tirana-Durrës highway through the addition of new lanes to ease congestion and enhance safety on one of Albania’s busiest transport corridors. Authorities have also selected the winning bidder for the Milot-Balldren road project, paving the way for another major infrastructure investment.

During the period, several projects moved forward, including the opening of the new Vrion Bridge, continued works on the Koman road and progress on Corridor VIII, a strategic transport route linking Albania with regional networks. Construction has also begun on the Tirana and Saranda bypasses, aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving access to urban and tourist areas.

In the water sector, authorities completed the new Elbasan water supply system, a project intended to improve service quality and access to drinking water for local residents.

The government has also prioritised investments in the energy sector, including upgrades to the Elbasan 3 and Tirana 3 substations and the construction of a new substation in Kamza, as part of efforts to strengthen the reliability of the electricity network.

At the same time, work continues on developing Vlora as a regional energy hub, supporting Albania’s ambition to expand its role in the regional energy market.

In transport, Albania recorded its first direct transatlantic flight connecting the country with Canada, while the Port of Durrës has expanded capacity and services ahead of the peak tourism season.

The projects are intended to modernise Albania’s infrastructure, improve living standards and create conditions for stronger economic, tourism and energy-sector development.

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Gogu said the report highlighted the completion of the vetting process, progress in the fight against corruption, stronger integrity, transparency and accountability within the justice system, as well as improvements in judicial efficiency and Albania’s alignment with European Union standards.

“Justice reform is delivering results. The European Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report recognises the completion of the vetting process, achievements in the fight against corruption, the strengthening of integrity, transparency and accountability in the justice system, improvements in judicial efficiency and further progress in aligning Albania with EU standards,” Gogu wrote in a statement.

The Minister also pointed to remaining challenges identified in the report, including the need to further improve judicial efficiency, strengthen human resource capacities, complete the digitalisation of justice, enhance public consultation mechanisms and continue measures aimed at preventing and combating corruption.

“Every positive assessment is an incentive to move forward, while every recommendation is an opportunity for improvement. This is how a stronger justice system is built and how Albania moves closer to the European Union every day,” Gogu said.

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