Speaking at the “A Few More Steps Toward the EU” dialogue forum in the southern city of Vlora, Cremades Ventura reaffirmed Spain’s support for Albania’s EU integration, particularly in the areas of rule of law, justice reform and the fight against corruption and organised crime.

Spanish Ambassador recalled that Albania was granted EU candidate status in 2014, but its accession process was delayed largely due to international developments rather than the country’s failure to meet criteria.

He noted that recent regional developments and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 marked a turning point in the EU’s approach to enlargement, reframing it as a geopolitical necessity rather than a burden.

“EU enlargement is now seen as a strategic investment in security, stability and prosperity,” Cremades Ventura said, adding that Albania had seized the opportunity created by shifting EU priorities toward the Western Balkans.

He stressed that EU membership is not a gift but the result of merit and sustained institutional and societal efforts.

“Albania has made significant progress, including the opening of all negotiating clusters, but the next two years will be critical,” he said, urging continued reforms, particularly in rule of law and anti-corruption chapters.

The Ambassador highlighted Spain’s practical support through EU-backed projects in justice and rule of law, and underlined the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and public communication to counter scepticism about EU enlargement.

Cremades Ventura said he hoped Albania would be able to sign its Accession Treaty by 2027, after which it would require ratification by all 27 EU member states.

“Albania’s integration is in the interest of all of Europe,” he said, adding that Spain supports Albania’s efforts to align fully with EU standards and deliver tangible benefits from accession.

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Speaking at the International Congress on Nanotechnology in Tirana, Ventura highlighted nanotechnology’s growing impact across sectors and welcomed Albania’s efforts to align with global scientific progress.

Ventura said nanotechnology has become a transformative force across sectors, including medicine, energy, materials science, electronics, and environmental sustainability.

He described the Nanotechnology forum in Tirana as a “valuable contribution to our bilateral relations” and an example of practical cooperation between Albania and Spain.

Ventura noted Spain’s contribution to the initiative through academic collaboration and seminars involving Albania, Spain, Japan, and Italy, and praised the leadership of Professor Arben Merkoçi in advancing regional research.

“Prime Minister Rama’s support for NanoBalkans reflects Albania’s strong priority on investing in science and technological progress,” the Spanish diplomat said.

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During a meeting on Monday, Agriculture Minister and the Spanish diplomat emphasized the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector, highlighting it as a high-potential area with direct impact on economic growth and employment in rural areas.

Minister Denaj stated that talks focused on identifying concrete opportunities to expand the partnership through joint training programs and EU-supported projects.

The meeting reaffirmed mutual commitment to pressing advancing initiatives aimed at modernizing Albania’s agricultural sector and enhancing technical and institutional capacities in response to EU accession challenges.

Albania’s agricultural exports have experienced significant growth, reaching 570 million euros in 2024, up from just 150 million euros in 2013. The government’s medium-term goal is to increase agricultural exports to 1 billion euros by 2030.

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Albania’s diplomacy chief took to the social media to share photos featuring his meeting with Spanish Ambassador Cremedes, expressing gratitude for Spain’s continued support for Albania’s  European Union membership bid.

Hasani also said that he looks forward to strengthening ties and exploring opportunities across all sectors that benefit both countries.

“Welcome to Tirana, Ambassador Cremades! I wish you a very successful diplomatic journey in Albania. We remain grateful for Spain’s continued support for our country’s EU integration path and look forward to strengthening ties and exploring opportunities across all sectors that benefit both countries,” Foreign Minister Hasani wrote.

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Spanish diplomat Álvaro Renedo Zalba focused on the topic “Culture for Diplomacy and Diplomacy for Culture” at a meeting attended by representatives from public and private institutions, as well as high school and university students.

In his capacity as the highest diplomatic representative of the Kingdom of Spain, Ambassador Zalba offered an in-depth description of the Spanish culture in the world.

The opening of the Spanish embassy in Tirana in 2006 represented a significant step in bilateral relations and efforts have been made to promote cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as economy and education in recent years.

Participants expressed high interest in the Albania-Spain relations, as well as in the special importance attached to culture and the European Union integration.

Ambassador Zalba said that culture is what influences the recognition of the country and builds bridges between nations and people. He also highlighted growth of tourism, emphasizing the impact of cultural tourism.

He said that Spanish Embassy has recently launched several important projects, including opening of UNED University in the southern museum city of Gjirokaster, and the summer camp of Real Madrid sports club for children in Tirana.

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During the cordial meeting, the central bank governor Sejko expressed gratitude for the very good relationships between the two countries, by appraising the trade exchanges with Spain, and the gratitude for the continuous support that Spain provides in the framework of the EU integration process of Albania.

Governor Sejko presented an overview of the economic developments in Albania highlighting that its performance appears challenging in this period. Surging prices in international markets, the expected economic slowdown in the Euro Area, coupled with lower household purchasing power, are expected to weigh on both inflation rates and economic growth in Albania.

The Governor explained that the response to these challenges has oriented the focus of economic policies in the country towards safeguarding price stability. This focus will require continuous review of the adequacy of monetary policy stance, as a prerequisite for preserving financial stability of Albania.

Sejko pointed out that this swift increase in prices coupled with the ambiguity on the duration and consequences originating from the armed conflict in Ukraine have strengthened the uncertainty in financial markets and have driven to new supply chain bottlenecks.

He emphasized that the Bank of Albania is monitoring the inflationary pressure dynamics going forward and stands ready to intervene in a timely manner and with the adequate force to guarantee the price stability in Albania.

In this context, regardless the challenges, the forecasts conducted at the Bank of Albania suggest that the Albanian economy will continue to register growth rates over a medium-term horizon. Regarding banking sector, the Governor pointed out that the banking system in Albania is well capitalised, liquid and financially sound.

On his part, Spanish Ambassador Álvaro Renedo Zalba appraised the work of the Bank of Albania for preserving and guaranteeing the financial stability of Albania, particularly throughout this difficult period.

He highlighted the progress done in Albania in the framework of the European Union integration process and re-affirmed the full support of Spain in this regard.

The Ambassador of Spain underlined the importance of the economic and sectorial reforms implementation with a view to enhance the economic collaboration with Spain, particularly the trading relationships, and increase foreign direct investments in Albania.

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The Spanish Ambassador to Albania, Marcos Alonso Alonso told the Albanian Telegraphic Agency that, “Spain fully supports the Albania’s EU integration.”

The Ambassador Alonso said that, Spain’s support for Albania has been reaffirmed during the meeting between the Albania’s chief negotiator for EU integration Zef Mazi Zef Mazi and the Spanish Secretary of State for European Affairs, Juan González-Barba.

“After the meeting, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Juan González-Barba made a public statement via Twitter, where he said that Spain fully supports Albania’s path towards EU integration and hopes and wishes that in June a decision will be made in the General Affairs Council to hold the First Intergovernmental Conference with Albania,” the Ambassador of Spain in Albania, Marcos Alonso Alonso said. //a.i/