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The EU Enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, is visiting Tirana and her first meeting was with the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, with whom she also held a press conference.
During the conference, Commissioner Kos stated that Albania’s journey towards the EU is secure and real.
“I like that you are so passionate about your country but also about the EU,” Kos said, addressing Prime Minister Rama. “I came here to show you my full support for your very ambitious goals that my team has told me about, and that are realistic and not just ambitious,” Kos said.
“You say you want to close the negotiations by the end of 2027, and we are on the right track because group chapters 2,3 have already been opened,” said Kos.
“It’s not just about opening the group chapters, but also about closing them. I am sure that with all the reforms you are carrying out, this will be possible. We very much wish for Albania to become part of the EU, you deserve it because with you in the EU, Europe will not only be bigger, but also stronger,” said the commissioner.
Kos also valued as important the fact that Albania has good neighborly relations in the region, calling it a champion for regional cooperation.
She further emphasized the implementation of reforms. “The focus should be on the implementation of reforms, which have been approved, but also on accelerating the confirmation of all other reforms, and in particular on the justice reform, which I support as it is also the cornerstone of the European integration process,” Kos said.
The Commissioner noted that the process of EU membership should be a project of the entire Albanian society so that citizens understand why this process is important and why Albania will become a member state.
“Soon we will have a survey on how enlargement is progressing, what the perception of enlargement in Albania is, and based on the findings, we will build a campaign. I hope that as many European journalists as possible will come to Albania to see it up close, to see what is happening here, life in Albania,” said Kos.
For his part, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama declared that Albania is very determined to successfully fulfill the very ambitious goal of concluding negotiations by 2027.
“We meet at a moment when we have reason to be proud of what we have done, you have reason to support us without reservation, but I want to emphasize, we do not take your support as something given once and for all, but as something that must be earned every day,” said Rama.
Subsequently, the EU Enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, gave Prime Minister Edi Rama a basketball jersey with the number 11, on which the EU flag was also printed.
“It says Team Europe there, we want Albania to become part of Europe. This is my lucky number, so we gave you the number 11 in our team,” said Kos.
Commissioner Kos stated that she herself does not play basketball, but when the negotiation process ends, she will climb Albania’s highest mountain, Korab, which is 2764 m, only 100 m less than Slovenia’s highest mountain. “But I would very much like you to come with me,” she told Prime Minister Rama, who humorously replied, “when we enter the EU, I’ll give you a new and fresh prime minister to climb with you to the highest peak.”
During her visit to Albania, Commissioner Kos will also engage with independent Albanian justice institutions, MPs, including representatives from the opposition, as well as civil society organizations.
As part of her mission, Commissioner Kos will visit three EU-funded projects in Elbasan, where she will engage with social enterprises supported by assets confiscated from organized crime, engage with women victims of gender-based violence, and exchanges with young students participating in the Western Balkan school exchange program, which supports reconciliation and intercultural learning and dialogue. (March 13)