Prime Minister Rama today welcomed the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who is starting her regional tour from Tirana and will also take part in the first EU–Western Balkans Investment Forum.

The official welcome ceremony took place on the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” Boulevard, followed by a one-on-one meeting between Prime Minister Rama and President von der Leyen at the Prime Minister’s Office. This was then followed by a meeting between the two delegations.

Subsequently, Prime Minister Rama and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, held a joint press conference.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama: Good day to everyone!

A special pleasure to welcome again the President of the European Commission on a day that is quite intense and filled with activities, not only because of the President’s tour in the region that kicks off with Albania, but also due to the investment forum between the European Union and Western Balkans that is hosted for the first time and will host a significant number of companies from across the region. Our aim is to turn this into a tradition for the coming years.

We had a conversation with the President touching upon all the topics of common interest and obviously it is a very important moment to us that we indeed appreciate very much the fact that the current Commission and the President give a special importance to the Western Balkans as well as place particular focus on the process of approximation of the EU countries and the Western Balkans.

We spoke about the progress of Albania’s negotiation process with the European Union in our perspective, but also as far as I heard from the President, this is a process that is progressing smoothly and swiftly.

On the other hand, we talked about the new growth plan that the European Union and the Commission helmed by President von der Leyen has made available to the Western Balkans, giving an opportunity to each country to fund in the framework of reforms and goals to support further the reforms that are being undertaken.

I am very happy to say that we got a very positive assessment by the President at this point, and we will continue to fulfil precisely and with high dedication all those tasks we’ve taken over. We also spoke about reinforcing cooperation in the region as well as strengthening security in the region, considering how indispensable it is to be closely tied amongst ourselves as well as with the European Union, not only geographically speaking, at the service of what is pursued by the European Union.

We also touched upon the issue of the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian aggression. At this point as well, we fully concord that we must continue to unsparingly support Ukraine, because amongst other things, there is an ongoing clash in that place between the perspectives and values of the European Union and the democratic world with another perspective of the world that is based on threatening and challenging such values.

This is a brief summary I could bring to you, extending special thanks to the European Commission, not for the sake of the protocol or just to be formal, but due to the fact that the work we are carrying out to move forward the internal processes connected to the reforms, to the negotiation chapters would not have been as successful as it is had we not had the constant support of the Commission and all the partners therein, who interacts daily with our team.

Obviously, I wish to thank President von der Leyen, not only for coming back to Albania, but also for the fact that she comes with an unwavering favoring Albania’s membership into the European Union.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: Dear Edi, it’s a pleasure to be back in Albania and it’s a pleasure to begin my traditional annual Western Balkan tour here in Tirana.

My first message is very clear. Albania is on the right track towards the European Union. You’ve come a long way, you’ve made progress, but I want to emphasize that there is a stunning and outstanding record speed acceleration in the last three to four years.

Five of six negotiation clusters are already open. We plan to open the last one this autumn. And I know the personal effort you, Prime Minister, and your team have invested in this journey.

Your goal is to close negotiations by 2027. This is ambitious, but we like ambitions, and let me assure you, we will be with you in every single step of that way. Because the geopolitical momentum is now. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has reshaped our continent. Every European nation must choose its place. And Albania has made its choice very clearly.

You’re fully aligned with the European Union’s foreign and security policy. Together, we act as one. Getting closer is not only about geopolitics, but also about smart business, and we will discuss this at the investment conference later today. Indeed, two years ago, we launched the growth plan for the Western Balkans. And the principle is very straightforward. Your economy gains access to our single market and new European investments. In exchange, you deliver key reforms. This is how we get a level playing field with the Western Balkans and the European Union single market. So, in summary, the door of sectors of the single market is open to your companies, but our companies also gain a bigger common market. So, it’s a real win-win situation.

The growth plan has the potential to double the economy of the Western Balkans in this decade. We see it’s already starting to deliver. Let me give you three precise examples. The first one is that you really have made strong progress on key reforms. Thanks to this, I am glad to announce the disbursement of 100 million euros. Now it’s about implementation. And I know that you’re well on track. This is the road for Albania to access all the money under the growth plan. It’s close to 1 billion.

Second, the single euro payment era, in short, SEPA. I remember two years ago when we first spoke about Albania joining SEPA. At that time, this looked extremely ambitious and a challenging project. Only two years ago, you’ve made it happen in record time again. Since last week, transfer of money between Albania and the European Union is safer, and it’s much, much cheaper. So, it is a big advantage now for the citizens and the companies.

My third example is roaming. In 2023, here in Tirana, we achieved a landmark agreement with operators. You very well remember that. Next year, we will abolish all roaming charges between Albania and the European Union. This is good for business. This is good for tourism. This is especially good for bringing our people together.

Prime Minister Edi, my final message is this. Perhaps the strongest case for enlargement is not economic and geopolitical, but it’s the people. Albania wants Europe. A recent poll shows that if a referendum were held today, 92% of Albanians would vote for EU membership. And across our continent, young Europeans are with us and with you. Two-thirds of those aged between 15 and 40 years support the enlargement. And this is the clearest signal of all. Our young generations want to live in a stronger, safer, and united European Union.

So, dear Edi, I wish you every success as you continue the path towards accession to the European Union, and you can count on me to support you in every step of the way.

Thank you very much.

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The first question is for you, Madam President. For years in a row, the European Union has said that the door for Albania is opened. But it seems like this door is not yet open. And Albanians have heard so many, so much about processes, chapters, negotiations. When is this door going to open? What is left to be done?

The question for you, Mr. Prime Minister, is about the same topic. You often have criticized the EU. For its red tape. Do you believe that despite such red tape, the EU will manage to make Albania a member by 2030? Thank you.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: So, we always are saying rightly so that enlargement is a merits-based process, and the merits that Albania deserves are visible by now. As I just said at the beginning, it was a normal process of opening clusters and working on the reforms to join the European Union. I must say, for me, it’s very impressive to see the acceleration, the speed that increased in the last three to four years.

I’m always impressed because you, Prime Minister, and the Albanian people are telling me, yes, we want to join the European Union, but we know that these reforms are in general good for us as democracies to strengthen our country. And this is tangible and visible here in Albania. The success of the last years, I mentioned the SEPA, I mentioned the roaming but also know the growth plan that is really working well in Albania. We will have the investment conference. All these are positive steps forward, so I can only say I’m deeply impressed by the spirit that is here in Albania. And we’re very focused on your ambition to be done by 2027.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: The question directed to me was quite impressive for the fact that all of us, and I personally, not only believe what we say, but based on such conviction, sometimes ago, we conducted a whole election campaign where we asked Albanians to give us their support, to give us a strong mandate for Albania in the European Union in 2030.

In this sense, I would say that this question is thrilling. In terms of what I have said on the European Union, I would say that the European Union has said what I have said for a relatively long time, and I stand by it. Because at that point in time, the European Commission recommended that the negotiations be opened to the Council, and the Council itself refused due to two or three countries that seemed to become a hindrance to the process.

We have been going through some times now and experiencing a new reality of the relationships between Albania and the European Union. This is why the question was memorable, as at the present, we are at a situation in which as the President said, we have opened five out of the six clusters of negotiations within only 11 months, which is a record time when it comes to the process. Of course, we have fulfilled our tasks. Nobody gives you a gift in Brussels. You need to earn everything. But there is no question that this process would not have had such a fast track if there had not been such a strong will by the Commission and the member countries.

As far as I see it, the whole European Union has been unwavering for some times now that the new membership process must be supported, that the Western Balkans must be supported, that Albania must be supported. It is an overall willingness that is being shown. So, this alignment with the Commission and the European Union is thorough.

2027 is not something we dreamt of here in Tirana, and we are showing Albanians. It is a year we have determined, together with the European Commission, as the goal for the negotiations. Indeed, this goal is tied to the tasks we perform. It is tied to the reforms, to the actions that are all part of a schedule and detail therein.

If we continue at the same pace, with the same perseverance and success at every step, we will succeed in fulfilling this goal, this objective by 2027. Well, as far as I remember, the Commission has always held true to its task. It has been positively assessing our work. Then the time will come for the member countries to express their own position one by one to ratify membership into the EU in their own parliaments, and that is a different stage.

I don’t only believe in this, but it is my absolute conviction that it is up to us to attain the 2027 goal, as it is my absolute conviction that the president will strongly stand by its position that is not a current position she’s holding. It is her position from day one. From the day when she was sworn in as the head of the commission, stating that this is a geopolitical commission that goes beyond red tape. Well, red tape is there. We can’t escape it.

If we escaped bureaucracy or red tape, that would mean that Silvio would not be so important for the European Union here in Tirana.

My question is both for the president as well as the prime minister, and it is related to the closing of the clusters. You mentioned in your statement and said a record time in opening such clusters and chapters, but what are your expectations when it comes to the conclusion of such chapters? What are those priority areas, Mr. Prime Minister, that the government of Albania must pursue in coordination with the European Commission?

Madam President, you mentioned in your speech that Albanians have shown in polls as well as after their elections that they love the European Union. Are these two sufficient as signs to go towards the closing of the negotiations? Thank you.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: So, this is the advantage of a merit-based process: because Albania has performed so well on its path of reforms, in their implementation, and I am fully confident that this will also be the case in the second part of this process, that is the closing of the different clusters. I think the real difference that happened a few years ago is indeed, as I said already, that Albania understood it’s good for us. We want this. We want this process. And therefore, you’re showcasing how well and speedy and ambitious you can be, not only in opening clusters, but certainly also in closing clusters.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Well, this is an answer that is the same as the previous one. So, with my initial answer, when we say 2027, that means that chapters are going to be closed by 2027. So, I do not understand your question about expectations.

Our expectation is to close all chapters by 2027. On our side, we must complete all our homework here to succeed. And this task, this homework, is finely detailed for each chapter as well as in the growth plan.

So, if today we receive such a positive assessment, that is a result of the tasks completed so far. But for us to continue to be positively assessed, we must continue to go ahead with our own homework and tasks. And I wish to repeat this. We do not do that. We do not meet our tasks or goals for the sake of the European Union or to satisfy those who further will endorse this membership in Paris and Berlin, and I was thinking of London, but London has gone absconded in a different direction. We perform and complete this homework for our own selves, for our own sake.

Every task that is successfully completed here in the country makes Albania stronger and much more functional as a state. The integration process, the accession negotiation process, the process of opening and closing the chapters is for us a process of a democratic state building.

By the end of the process, when the Commission says that we are done, that means that Albania receives a certificate that based on the perspective, opinion of the EU Commission, we are a functioning democratic state. And this is for the sake of Albanians and the coming generations. Indeed, as such, we may enter the European Union, and the improvement process continues. It never ends. Even Germans who for decades in a row have been held as the most perfect example are not as perfect as you know, and they are realizing it themselves as well.

It is a process. It is not something that ends. It is, however, a fact that we are at the heart of Europe and we have the European Commission that is accompanying us. If we were outside such continent and did not have the European Union, it would have been impossible for us to build a functioning democratic state for 1001 reasons.

Thank you very much.