In a statement on Sunday, EU Ambassador to Albania, Luigi Soreca said that Albania is ready to open EU accession talks.
Soreca’s statement in this regard was part of his closing remarks for Europe Weeks 2021, a three-week event organized by the EU Delegation in Albania. Over May, Soreca and other EU officials toured Albania on a bus to hold activities and inform Albanian citizens about how EU member states’ projects have contributed to help and transform the country.
“This three week journey from the northern part of Vermosh to Konispol was accompanied with a spirit of hope and optimism, and everywhere along the road we found an enthusiasm that left us speechless”, the ambassador said about the event.
During the trip, Soreca and other EU ambassadors who joined him for certain points of the journey, met with Albanian citizens to receive their feedback.
Among his laudatory comments about Albania and Albania’s youth, Soreca mentioned that the country has met the conditions set by the EU and is ready to take the next step towards EU integration.
He reiterated that he is optimistic about the EU’s decision, adding that election day was a test that Albania passed, given that the OSCE/ODIHR report relayed that election day went smoothly.
The European Union will not be complete until Albania and the rest of the Western Balkan become members, Soreca concluded.
Meanwhile, last week Germany pushed for EU members to start accession talks with both Albania and North Macedonia in June, before the end of the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union. However, Bulgaria has voted North Macedonia’s progress over identity and language issues, and Austria opposes decoupling Albania and North Macedonia’s EU accession talks.
