Speaking at a press conference after the second meeting of the Accession Conference between Albania and the European Union in Luxembourg, marking the opening of the first negotiation Cluster: Fundamentals with Albania, Commissioner Várhelyi noted that real work on negotiating the conditions for Albania to become a EU member begins today.

“Today, you are celebrating a very important decision.It means that now the road is open for the substantive negotiations, meaning that now we will negotiate the conditions on which Albania is going to be a member of the European Union. This is what is happening today,” the Commissioner said.

He highlighted the fact that Hungary started its presidency of the European Union by setting EU enlargement as a top political priority and by strongly pushing for the institutional process and take the accession negotiations forward.

“Enlargement is definitely one of the three top priorities for the EU and its leaders. Without enlargement, Europe cannot grow stronger. We will need enlargement for the EU to get stronger, compared to where we started in 2019. We have a long way to go,” the Commissioner stated.

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Foreign Minister Hasani said that he and Commissioner Várhelyi discussed Albania’s preparations  and reform agenda to open the EU accession negotiations on the fundamentals cluster as soon as possible.

Hasani underlined that the EU enlargement is critical to stability and it is beneficial for all parties.

“EU enlargement is of critical importance and beneficial to all involved. With the Western Balkans, the EU will be safer, stronger and more competitive,” Hasani stated.

Foreign Minister’s one-day stay in Luxembourg ended with an audience with the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Henri.

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg a day ago.

During the meeting, Foreign Minister Hasani reaffirmed Albania’s full alignment with the EU security and foreign policies.

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“The first agreement is related to SEPA that provides for a comprehensive review of all regulatory aspects in our countries. The countries must apply the same rules they use in their countries of origin. The challenge is how quickly we will be able to work to ensure concrete rules implementation. An agreement has been reached on this issue expected to have tangible results this year”, Varhelyi said.

“The second agreement provides for the regulation of customs procedures aimed at speeding up the expansion of border crossings in all the Western Balkans, at the end of this year, aimed at reducing costs for various businesses in the region”, he said.

“The third agreement was reached in the scientific research work. It is necessary to establish a center in the Western Balkans where different industries in the region will be supported, such as innovation, research, scientific research. The digital pharmaceutical sector will be also included, where knowledge about technologies is applied every day”, EU Commissioner said.

“The fourth agreement was reached on free internet network in public spaces throughout the Western Balkans. Everyone will be able to access the Internet as part of the economic investment plan. The municipalities will be equipped with all the necessary tools to make this a reality within this year”, Varhelyi concluded.

The European Commission adopted a new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, with the aim of bringing some of the benefits of membership to the region in advance of accession, boost economic growth and accelerate much needed socio-economic convergence.

The objective should be to enable partners to step up reforms and investments to significantly accelerate the speed of the enlargement process and the growth of their economies.

A new €6 billion Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans has been proposed for the period 2024-2027.

Regional Summit on the Growth and Convergence Plan is taking place on Thursday, February 29, in Tirana focusing on the integration of the Western Balkans towards the European Union, as well as the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

This second summit will also offer new opportunities for an exchange of views on the European future of the region and on common regional challenges.//a.i/

“EU is ready to promote economic development and integration of Western Balkans market into the European Union before the full integration of these six countries takes place”, Varhelyi affirmed.

“The enlargement process has nothing to do with the different chapters of the legislation or the administrative methods, but it is a process of integration. The integration process means that the Western Balkans GDP and societies integrate into the EU. Thus, the EU must also provide in advance all the membership benefits, before your countries become members of the European family, and this is what the new growth plan stands for”, Varhelyi said.

Regional Summit on the Growth and Convergence Plan is taking place on Thursday, February 29, in Tirana focusing on the integration of the Western Balkans towards the European Union, as well as the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

This second summit will also offer new opportunities for an exchange of views on the European future of the region and on common regional challenges.//a.i/

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At the outset of the Regional Summit on the growth plan, held in Tirana, Albania, the European Commissioner stated that the plan becomes functional only if the six Western Balkan states implement the required reforms and criteria.

“We have full confidence in all Western Balkan countries that you will be able to reap the benefits of this plan, a plan that has the potential to contribute to doubling the economies of the Western Balkans in the next decade”, Várhelyi said at the Regional Summit on the EU growth plan in Tirana, attended by regional leaders.

According to Várhelyi, the plan is part of the enlargement process and implies that alongside the reforms undertaken by aspiring states in the region, the bloc offers them “all the benefits that membership brings before your countries become EU members”.

“We are at the beginnings of a very fundamental, but also very rapid change in the Western Balkans”, Várhelyi stressed.

“If we want the region to move faster, you must achieve results on reforms provided on the plan work. This plan will work if you follow the EU rules. Only if you accept all the rules, you can become part of the single European market before becoming a full-fledged member of the EU”, he added.

In the end, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Várhelyi called on the international financial institutions to speed up the work to realize the financing of this plan.

The EU allocation plan for 2024-2027 is worth 6 billion euros.

The EU’s plan for the Western Balkans aims to boost the region’s economic growth, accelerate necessary reforms, and undertake investments that could advance the EU enlargement process with these countries.//a.i/

“We took the opportunity to talk intensively about the integration process progress, with a special focus on strategic projects, fundamental to the Albania’s and regional development,” Balluku said.

Balluku expressed her gratitude to Commissioner Varhelyi for all the support provided during the process of official recognition of Corridor VIII.//a.i/

In his remarks at a joint press conference with the Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Annalena Baerbock, the EU Commissioner Várhelyi said: “If there is a if we have a sentence I always happen to hear is that the European Union should come to the Western Balkans.”

“Today we certainly discussed today the Berlin Process, which is a very good and complementary platform for our enlargement agenda, as well as part of our commitment as EU to the Western Balkans,” Várhelyi added.

The Commissioner said that the Berlin Process was and remains the most reliable platform through which the EU shows its commitment to the region.

“We are talking about major political projects, as well as about the daily life of citizens and how we will bring Europe here in the Western Balkans for citizens and businesses,” Várhelyi stated.

Várhelyi underlined that further EU enlargement in the Western Balkans is a key priority and that’s why the EU has announced the economic investment plan with one third of the region’s total GDP.

“I am proud to announce that we have delivered on half our job, we have mobilized around 15 billion euros in funding, projects, grants, public investments, around 54 major investment projects, which show the difference they make. The EU is demonstrating results in its work for businesses and citizens. We are building roads, railways, sewerage systems, solar power plants, wind power plants, waste water treatment plants. We are bringing significant private sector investment to transform your economy. We are also investing in human capital so that your economies become increasingly attractive to foreign investors,” Várhelyi said.

Commissioner Várhelyi said that today’s meeting in Tirana also focused on best ways to prepare for the region’s integration and accelerated EU enlargement.

“We definitely want to help the countries in the Western Balkans to speed up their economic plans so that they can deliver more tangible results for citizens and businesses in terms of EU integration reforms,” Várhelyi said.

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“Our position is clear. First of all, the situation between Pristina and Belgrade should deescalate,” Commissioner Várhelyi stated Friday during a joint press conference with the Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, after the Berlin Process Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tirana on Friday.

Asked about recent situation in Kosovo, Várhelyi emphasized that dialogue should be restored and deliver results in enforcement of all previous accords, including the Ohrid Agreement.

Várhelyi said that “all the perpetrators should be brought to justice, while Serbian authorities should fully cooperate with the EU on this issue.”

“We need to get out of this circle and this circle can be broken if Pristina-Serbia dialogue takes place,” Várhelyi said.

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KosovaPress reported that the Commissioner Várhelyi will meet with Kosovo government officials, including President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti as well as opposition leaders and civil society representatives.

Várhelyi is scheduled to meet Kosovo President Osmani at 09:40hrs.

The two will appear at a joint press conference after the bilateral meeting.

These meetings will be an opportunity to review EU-Kosovo relations and to discuss recent developments as well as key reforms, including in the area of the justice reform, energy transition and the fight against organised crime and corruption.

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During the meeting Xhaçka and Varhelyi talked about the European integration of Albania.

“With EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, very encouraging discussion on the next steps of our EU integration path. Grateful to his and the Commission’s support. Reassured him that Albania’s good work on EU reforms will continue even more intensively”, Xhaçka wrote on Twitter.

Today, Minister Xhaçka participated in the informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the EU member states with the Foreign Ministers of the Western Balkan countries, in the framework of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, in Brussels. /k.s/p.s./