The foreign ministers of Austria, Czech Republic and Slovenia have expressed their support for the EU to start accession talks with Albania next month.
Austria’s Alexander Schallenberg, Czech Republic’s Jakub Kulhánek, and Slovenia’s Anže Logar visited Tirana on Sunday, during a joint tour of the Western Balkans before the summit of the EU leaders on June 24-25, who are expected to discussed the start of talks with Albania and North Macedonia.
In a press conference with Albanian foreign minister Olta Xhacka, they said Albania has met all conditions to sit in talks with the EU, and that the latter should deliver.
“Albania is ready to start talks in June. There is no reason to delay this process,” Schallenberg said.
Kulhánek stressed Albania’s progress with the justice reform and fight against corruption and organized crime as the two main achievements.
Anže Logar said Albania has met all conditions and now it’s the EU’s turn to deliver on its promises. He assured his Albanian counterpart of Slovenia’s support during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July until December.
Albania’s top diplomat also expressed the government’s expectation for EU accession talks to start within June.
Albania deserves the opening of the 1st IGC. #EU must live up to its promise! 1/2 pic.twitter.com/6AN1SYyTFN
— Olta Xhaçka🇦🇱 (@xhacka_olta) May 23, 2021
President Ilir Meta also welcomed the three ministers in a meeting, where they reiterated the need for talks to start.
In March 2020, the European leaders reached a political agreement to open accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia but put forward a number of conditions for Albania to meet before sitting in the first intergovernmental conference.
The three senior diplomats expressed the same support for North Macedonia on Saturday. The country’s path is blocked by Bulgaria over national identity issues. The Bulgarian veto poses a risk for Albania as well, as the two countries’ progress towards the EU are considered inseparable by several EU member states.
