According to German newspaper Deutsche Welle, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is on a two day visit to Germany to lobby them regarding the date for the first intergovernmental conference which is when EU accession talks will formally start.
It’s reported that yesterday Rama met with parliamentarians from the German Bundestag. Also present at the meeting was the Chairman of the Socialist Party in Albanian Parliament, Taulant Balla who is also the Chairman of the Parliamentary Association of Friendship Albania-Germany.
It’s believed Rama is lobbying the CDU/CSU who are the largest parliamentary group in the Bundestag, to get them to give a ‘yes’ to Albania opening the first intergovernmental conference as soon as possible. According to DW, neither the Chairman of the Western Balkans parliamentary group from the CDU/CSU Johann Wadephul, or the Chairman of the EU Commission in the Bundestag, Gunther Krichbaum were in attendance.
Germany is still skeptical of whether Albania deserves to start accession talks. This is due to the “anti-defamation” law and the changes to the 4 July agreement on the electoral law in parliament.
Germany has also recently praised Albania for its commitment to mediating the crisis in Belarus. Some Albanian media reported Rama met with Chancellor Angela Merkel but diplomatic sources told the German media that this was not the case.
