At the conclusion of the 8th Albania-EU Intergovernmental Conference, Prime Minister Rama, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, and the Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna, held a joint press conference:
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Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna: Thank you very much. Good afternoon. It was such a great honor and privilege to chair today’s eighth Accession Conference with Albania with Prime Minister Rama and Commissioner Kos. During the Cyprus presidency, the Council has assessed Albania’s progress on the fundamentals based on the European Commission’s Interim Benchmark Assessment Report. Following this assessment, today’s accession conference concluded that Albania has successfully fulfilled the interim benchmarks for the fundamentals cluster.
This is a truly significant achievement and an important recognition of Albania’s sustained reform efforts and the political commitment by Albania to its European path. This milestone allows Albania to move forward in the accession process, and once the relevant conditions are met, we will begin to provisionally close negotiating chapters.
We’ve said it time and again that enlargement is a strategic priority for the Cyprus presidency and that we would be delivering results, and that is precisely what we are doing today.
We deeply believe in enlargement as one of the European Union’s most transformative policies, and we’re therefore particularly pleased that Albania’s accession process is steadily advancing in this decisive manner, fully in line with the EU’s merit-based approach with strict and fair assessment, strict and fair conditionality.
Today is also a sign of our firm commitment to the European future of the Western Balkans as a whole. I would like to commend the Albanian government, the authorities, institutions and citizens for their dedication and determination in advancing reforms, difficult reforms. We know that the accession process is an arduous path, but one that is worth it. and for demonstrating such a clear commitment to a shared European future.
At the same time, today’s conference marks the beginning of a new and perhaps even more challenging and demanding phase of the accession process. Because the fundamentals cluster remains at the core of the negotiations. Progress at this stage is no longer measured only by the adoption of reforms, by the adoption of legislation, but increasingly by their effective implementation, by solid and credible track records, and by tangible results that are both sustainable and irreversible.
This means continued efforts to strengthen the rule of law, safeguard the independence of judicial institutions, fight corruption and organised crime, protect fundamental rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, and ensure that democratic institutions function effectively and with transparency.
The European Union looks forward to the continuation of the reform momentum by Albania with the same determination that has brought Albania to this important milestone today.
In this regard, today’s achievement represents both recognition of the progress made and the beginning of the next phase of work ahead. The European Union remains fully committed to supporting Albania throughout the process, and the Cyprus presidency will continue working until the very last day of our presidency with the same dedication and the same speed.
Today’s conference demonstrates once again that enlargement policy delivers concrete results when the reforms by our enlargement partners are pursued with determination, credibility and transparency.
Thank you.
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European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos: I really like your enthusiasm, dear Marilena. And without you, this success we are celebrating today would not be possible. But also without your work, dear Prime Minister Edi Rama, we are here to mark a big step in Albania’s path towards EU accession. After Montenegro in 2024, Albania is the second of our current candidate countries to have met the interim benchmarks of the rule of law established in October 2024.
This is an achievement to celebrate. It is a recognition of more than a decade of hard work. This cannot happen overnight. So when we are confirming the interim benchmarks on the rule of law, we are confirming that your work of the last 10 or even more years on this area has been successful.
Laws have been adopted to protect fundamental rights and vulnerable groups. Decisive steps have been taken to ensure that all Albanians have the right to a fair trial. We have seen the vetting of hundreds of judges and prosecutors and the establishment of new self-governing judicial institutions which reduce political influence in the judiciary. We saw the creation of SPAC, the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime.
It is Albania’s flagship anti-corruption institution. It has proven that it can deliver results and has become Albania’s most trusted institution. This reflects the strong support of the Albanian people. for deep reforms of the justice system. The transformative power of the EU accession process must first and foremost be felt by the Albanian people themselves. That is a strong foundation to build on.
By achieving this key milestone, today we are also confidently establishing the terms of the final journey toward its EU accession. Today we set the final goalposts. Member states have defined the closing benchmarks for the most important chapters, those on the rule of law and fundamental rights, justice system, anti-corruption, and fight against organized crime. Today’s achievement opens a new phase of enlargement negotiations. It makes it possible for Albania to move towards closing chapters. So without this step today, closing chapters wouldn’t be possible at all in all policy areas once conditions are fulfilled. And this is a moment to celebrate, but this is also a moment to intensify the work.
We continue to support Albania’s objective or vision of closing negotiations by the end of 2027. Albania must use the positive energy generated by this step to press forward. The closing benchmarks which the EU agreed to today are a clear signal to Albania that further progress is accepted. We now count on Albania to double down on reforms.
This must involve all political forces in the country and be done in consultation with both civil society and the public.
The rule of law affects every citizen. Reforms that serve Albanians can only be achieved by taking the views of all affected people into account. Now it’s the time to achieve all the expectations of the Albanian people by intensifying alignment with the EU and delivering on reforms that matter to them. And more than 90% of the citizens of Albania are supporting your EU membership.
We have a long way ahead, but it will come very quickly. So take this moment to celebrate the achievements, and then let’s get straight back to work. And we are working hard in the enlargement process. You were talking that you want to have the results, and the results are there. From the entry of Croatia into the EU in 2013 until now, the present European Commission has started its mandate on December 1, 2024. Altogether, in 11 years, we have closed five chapters.
From December 1, 2024 until today, we have closed 11 chapters. Also, now in the future, we will be reaching the highest number, but now because of you. The more chapters we will complete in the Albania’s accession process, the more successful you will also make the European Union. I thank you for this, dear Edi, dear Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Edi Rama: Thank you so much, dear Marilena. Thank you so much, Marta.
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos: You don’t love me?
Prime Minister Edi Rama: No. I was thinking to say “Ljubim te, or no?” But I know that “Ljubimte” is not exactly the Slovenian version, or is it?
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos: It can be. Thank you.
Now I’m happy.
Prime Minister Edi Rama: Why are you laughing? You are young. You don’t know the value of love yet. You have to see and learn from Albania’s love for the European Union. Endless love, unconditional love, suffering love sometimes, but here we are, and of course, we are happy, we are very happy because we achieved another incredible milestone and we broke another record. As Marta has underlined on several occasions, we opened all the chapters within 11 months. It was very fast, maybe because it was too late.
And we pass from that to the phase of starting to close the chapters through this conference today, again in a very short time. So we feel energised, we feel encouraged, but we also feel responsibilized even more because we know that it’s not the end. It’s just the beginning of the end. And we know that we have to do much more work. But maybe it is also the moment to say to all Albanians at home who have followed IBAR with such passion. And as I told you before in the room, the word IBAR became more trendy than the World Cup words. And so this is how we live with the European Union accession.
I want to say that today we have a country that has more than 27 billion euros in GDP, and we started with less than 10 billion. We have a country that has an average wage in the private sector of €912 and in the public sector close to €1,100. And we started with an average €325.
We have a country today that has gone from 300, 400 at best foreign direct investments to €1.6 billion last year.
And revenues are growing and investments are growing, the economy is growing, so we want to continue. But people must realize that all this is related to the work we are doing together. The e-bars, the benchmarks, the interim, the previous, and the post look abstract, but they are very real and they are about having what we have today, getting confirmation, stronger institutions, much stronger than they were 10 years ago, a justice system that is strengthened and is independent as never before in the history of our country.
We started with the stigma of a country where there was a culture of impunity, and today it seems like it was an era that belongs to centuries ago, but was just some years ago. And our law enforcement cooperation with European partners is deeper. Our administration is more and more committed, invested and capable, as it also shows the work we do closely with the Commission. And our European path is irreversible. And all this is the background, or even better the fundamentals for the rest, for better salaries, for better jobs, for bigger investments and so on and so further.
So, without wanting to say much more, I want to simply thank the Commission wholeheartedly first, because it’s a nerve-wracking tutor of ours, and it helps us in every step to understand exactly what we should do and how we should do it.
And this is what makes you a bless for a country like ours that came out from history with no institutions, no tradition of institutions, no tradition of a state and this is a state making process and I want to thank also Silvio dear spoke person on behalf of the tutor who has to bring good and bad news to us and it has meant a lot and i am making this thing because it’s the last intergovernmental conference with him representing the EU.
Then I want to thank, of course, the sunshine that Cyprus brought, not just today, because today it was a joint work. We brought some sun from Albania, you brought some from Cyprus, and finally, this grey, boring city shone for once.
I want to thank also all the member states for having done an incredible work together with the Commission to put all things in line and to challenge us again. It’s a big challenge we have ahead. We know it. We are aware of the magnitude of it, and we are ready to do it. And I say without any kind of flattery that having the European Commission on your side is having the guarantee that you will make it, and we will make it, and we will be members of this family within this decade. I know it, I feel it, I will fight for it together with our team, and I’m very convinced that Marta will not give it up before the end of her term, which coincides with the last Albania’s time outside of this house.
So thank you again to everyone and for everything. We are very, very happy, and we are very encouraged today.
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Good evening. Prime Minister, congratulations. It’s a big step for you and for the government. I want to know who should be credited for today’s events and what Albania’s greatest achievement is. Is it possible to be a member in 2028? Thank you.
Prime Minister Edi Rama: No, this is for Marta and for Marilena, it’s not for me. Bush should get the credit, I hope. Marta will say Marilena and Marilena will say Marta and I just helped.
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos: No, I would say that this success is possible because of the strong support of the citizens of Albania and also because of your strong leadership. The enlargement process, indeed, you know, we always gather here when we talk about the chapters and benchmarks and clusters and opening and closing.
But whatever we do, we really do for the people. And having this kind of high support in your country, it is the best the leadership of the country can get. Albania is using the historical moment where enlargement is again the priority of the European Union. And if somebody understands that this window or doors of opportunity will not be open forever, it is your country.
And delivering based on this motivation, you can be successful. Regarding the date, as I have said before, we are supporting the vision of the government of Albania to finish the negotiations by the end of 27.
And then I will climb together with the prime minister to the Korab. This is, you know, the only closing benchmarks I have had today additional. And I hope, Marilena that you are supporting this too.
Prime Minister Edi Rama: We can make a compromise. We can climb together the Eiffel Tower when France says yes, welcome to the club, which will be more difficult than Korab.
Thank you very much. I’m Lily from Reuters. I have a question, actually, for each of you, the same question. German Chancellor Merz sent a letter last week to EU leaders, where he pitched associate membership for Ukraine. In the letter, he also referred to an idea to look into innovative solutions for some other candidate countries. So this letter has gotten a lot of attention in this town, and I was wondering what your reactions are, whether you are discussing these ideas, and also specifically, and maybe this is specifically also for the Prime Minister, what do you think of the idea of treating candidate countries differently, so presenting Ukraine possibly with different options than from other candidates. Thank you.
Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna: Thank you very much for the question. Indeed, the President has received Chancellor Merz’s letter, and I think the first thing to note is that I think this letter is also a testament to the fact that, because of the momentum that we have in enlargement, there is a very strong interest by member states in enlargement and in delivering on enlargement.
There is commitment, and there is anticipation to advance the enlargement agenda. On the second leg of your question, the ideas that have been expressed in this letter have not yet been discussed by Member States, but I would say they fall part of the Member States’ overall reflections on how to advance on the EU enlargement agenda.
What I can say is that we need to focus on what we have in front of us and what do we have in front of us. We have the fact that enlargement is an absolute priority to advance this agenda with all the candidate countries. We have an agreed methodology, and that is the agreed methodology that we work on. We have our own merits approach, and that is key to the overall credibility of enlargement.
We also have the fact that this is a process that requires unanimity, and we have what the treaties are saying, which is Article 49, which is full membership. It’s also very important that enlargement partners are treated equally.
And a last comment. The Commissioner and I always like numbers; they sometimes pass the message much more clearly. The numbers on how much we have progressed compared to previous years since December. And I would add to that that for the first time since we set up the Ad Hoc Working Party for the Accession Treaty for Croatia, I was following that back at the time. For the first time, we have delivered an ad hoc working party for the drafting of the accession treaty for Montenegro. And that also speaks volumes.
The fact that we are here speaks volumes. the enlargement process and the accession negotiations, no matter how complex they are. And they need to be complex because this is a transformative process. It’s one of the most consequential policies of the European Union. We’re bringing new members to the family. Despite this complexity, we are able to forge compromises. It just takes a lot of hard work to find solutions to reach consensus amongst member states. That is what we have been doing, and that is what we will continue to do.
Prime Minister Edi Rama: Well, long story short, first of all, it’s very interesting, and it’s very welcoming. The special attention that the German Chancellor attaches to the enlargement, and we very much appreciate that. It has been a subject that, for some, was a taboo. It’s not anymore a taboo.
And me personally, I am satisfied with that because it’s been some years that I think that a creative way should be found, because we are in a completely new world, Europe has a war to deal with on its own soil and many other challenges to face.
And of course, a more united Europe is better for everyone. And not the government of Albania, or any government of the Western Balkans, but the EU parliament itself has issued a report that shows, based on facts, that keeping us out is more costly than getting us in.
But, of course, there is discussion to happen. And let me say that the letter has been addressed to the leaders of the European Union member states. So it’s a discussion they should have. We are looking forward in some days to the Western Balkan EU summit, and I hope we’ll have space to make this discussion.
I’ll have the chance and the honor to sit aside with the Chancellor and our teams, and of course we’ll discuss it. But all this being said, I think that we need to see it broadly, and without any need to provoke anyone, I would say that, you know, as Marilena said, candidates should not be separated, number one. Number two, what about Moldova? Moldova has survived two Russian aggressions in two very, very difficult campaigns that a seemingly fragile but very strong woman, Maia Sandu, has led with bravery and with a very strong European will, promising the European Union to the Moldovans. And what the Russians said to the Moldovans, don’t trust her, don’t trust them. Europe will never open the door to you. Come with us. Now, I think it’s a big, big bet to wait for the third election without opening the accession talks with Moldova. This is simple.
As for Albania, listen, we are the most pro-European country and nation in Europe, not because I say it, but because every EU barometer says it. We are EU Taliban’s and we will not look anywhere else and we will not waver whatever it takes to get in. We will stubbornly fight to get in. But there are vulnerabilities around that should be considered because in today’s Europe, no one is small enough to be left for the next round, and no one is big enough to be self-sufficient. This is my take about that.
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos: For me, the biggest challenge today in the enlargement process is how to bridge the gap between the merit-based principle, which takes time, and how to answer the geopolitical situation today. As you have been saying there, Mr Prime Minister, if we are not able to integrate our neighbourhoods, and mostly the candidates, somebody else could take over the influence there and then weaponise them against us. So I see the letter of Chancellor Merz as a positive contribution to a broader discussion, How do we go on with the enlargement methodology in the times which are completely different than 40 years back when, for instance, Portugal and Spain have joined and plus minus we are using the same methodology?
So any discussion from the side of the member states is really, really welcome in these challenging times. Thank you, Commissioner. I will take one last question. Magnus here in the front.
I want to pick up on some good reporting our colleagues at The Guardian did earlier today reported that it’s floated as a possibility that a candidate country such like Montenegro and potentially Albania would not have veto rights on the decisions in the council that require anonymity. I just had a chance to ask the Prime Minister earlier. He said he welcomes the idea. I just want to get your take, Commissioner. Is this something that the candidate countries can look forward to, or is it indeed just at least maybe considered as an option? Thank you.
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos: First, all of our candidate countries have the possibility to join the EU as full members when they fulfill all the requirements. This is the basis. This has not changed at all. But you have heard me talking about the safeguards many times because we have to ensure that once we will get new member states, we have to be stronger, not just at the beginning, but in the next 5, 10, 15 years. So how those safeguards will look like is now under the internal discussion, a discussion in the Commission and in the member states and among Commission and the member states, and wide range of options have been considered.
The main candidates know about this discussion, but nothing has been decided yet. What I also always say is those safeguards will be invisible for those newcomers, new member states, if they will follow the rules. If they will not follow the rules, the safeguards will bite hard.
Prime Minister Edi Rama: Let me add something, because I am under the impression that observers see it as either-or, but it’s not either or. It’s not about giving up full membership with full rights. It’s about building up on a new dynamic, which is a dynamic imposed to Europe by external factors, which is a dynamic imposed to all of us by a necessity to fight what can be Europe’s decline and which is also a dynamic that we have to embrace for a united Europe, which means that it’s not about creating a two-class Europe. It’s about making, in a different way, what Helmut Kohl made on the first day, when he declared against all odds and all odds all provisions, the unification of the two Germanies, he didn’t ask how much prepared his Germany was. But on the way, things changed, and the unification became not just political, but also in all the way reality. So, a political step towards, the countries that are negotiating, to bring them inside without waiting for everyone to agree that these countries should have all the rights, it’s an idea to be explored.
And in the meantime, to give time to the European Union itself to reform, as it has been said many times. I’ve heard it many times. I’ve heard it from people who are not around anymore, leaders that have told me you have to wait until we reform the European Union, and we’ll turn back and take you in. It’s not going to happen like this. It cannot happen like this. And last point I want to make is that we all need to realise again that it’s time for playing our game differently. Again, when it comes to Albania, we are very, very clear. We have no plan B. We have no alternative. We don’t want to have any, because every alternative to the European Union is an alternative to individual freedom, an alternative to equality before the law. And we have lived with this type of alternative for centuries.
So we want to be part of it, whatever it takes, and whatever status and the closer, the better. It has been an attempt with a growth plan to tackle this thing of all or nothing. So, until you go and sit, you have nothing. So just imagine an EU member state in the region gets funding from the European Union an average of 4,000 and some hundred euros per capita. We used to get 132 euros per capita from the European Union. It’s a huge gap. So the new growth plan addressed this with a mechanism that showed to be beneficial, but not sufficient anymore.
So we need to do more. And this is the whole idea. It’s not about creating a Europe with two levels of citizenship. No, not at all. It’s about going towards a fully integrated Europe with some phasing and some creative movements by respecting fully the methodology that is in place, by never giving up on the merit-based process because the merit-based process is good for us and we need to do it not because they ask it but because it helps the country become a real functioning democracy.
Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna: Just a final note briefly on my side on this. Just to say that in what is an intergovernmental process, these ideas, and these are some of the ideas, there are also other ideas that over the past months have been discussed. They will be discussed by the competent bodies of the Council and all member states will, of course, be called to to express their views. We also look forward to the pre-enlargement reviews by the Commission precisely to address and discuss how we can be ready for the next enlargement. But that is also a process that will move in parallel with the accession negotiations. The accession negotiations will not wait for the discussion on the pre-enlargement reviews. Thank you.
