On Tuesday, the first Intergovernmental Conference marking the official start of EU membership negotiations will start for Albania.
The country’s EU accession was previously held up by a veto from Bulgaria over North Macedonia who’s path is tied to that of Tirana’s. Following a series of frantic political dialogues, manoeuvres and votes in both Sofia and Skopje, the veto has been lifted, and both countries can progress to the intergovernmental conference stage.
While Albania can start negotiations immediately, North Macedonia cannot until Bulgarians are included in the country’s constitution, something that will not take place any time soon due to a lack of the two-thirds majority needed in Skopje’s parliament.
“Today the Albania of all of us, regardless of religion, region, ideas, age or social status, the Albania of Skenderbeu, of the renaissance, of the martyrs of the war, of the martyrs of the communist regime, of the students of December ’90, the Albania of the families of ordinary Albanians, wherever they are and of our children wherever they grow up with their parents, will sit at the big table of united Europe to start negotiations for its membership,” Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama wrote on his Facebook page.
During a press conference in Brussles on Tuesday morning, before the first conference, Rama thanked Commission President Von der Leyen, German ex-chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron for their help in getting to the current stage and helping to “unblock an absurd situation”.
He also thanked the Albanian people.
“Thanky ou to the Albanian people who never gave up or gave up on the dream to pursue the European path and thanks to whom we could stand strong despite three very, very complicated years. Where the refusals from the European Commission on one hand, and the earthquake, pandemic, and war made a perfect storm but made us stronger.”
He added, “We know that this is not the beginning of the end, it is the end of the beginning…we need to continue to build a strong, democratic, European Albania.”
Von der Leyen welcomed the leaders to Brussels and congratulated them on the start of the formal negotiations process.
She noted Albania will join the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to enhance resilience from natural disasters such as floods, fires, and earthquakes. She also said cooperation would increase in many areas including funding, energy, transport and trade.
In North Macedonia, she said Frontex would be deployed to its borders to help with security. She also referred to the Macedonian language, noting that no asterisks or footnotes would appear in EU documents in relation to it.
Lastly, she thanked the two leaders for their alignment and solidarity amid the Russian war in Ukraine.
“You have both shown leadership, vision, strategic patience- Edi, in abundance- but most importantly, in the challenging times of Russia’s brutal war, you have proven time and time again, your attachment to European values.”
In addition to Rama , the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, the chief negotiator of Albania with the EU, Zef Mazi, and the Ambassador of Albania to the European Union, Suela Janina, will also take part in the conference.
