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Thank you, dear Edi. 

It is a real pleasure to see you again and also to be in Albania. Albania is a strong partner of the European Union. You are a NATO ally, and like you said, you were fully aligned with the EU's common defence and foreign security policy. Your decision to fully implement EU sanctions against Russia alongside your political, military and humanitarian support to Ukraine demonstrates your commitment to our shared values and I understand that politically, it is always hard to do. 

You are also promoting the cooperation within the Western Balkans, including supporting local authorities to ensure safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EU is fully committed to Albania and your cooperation benefits both of us. We also, as European Union, remain Albania strongest trading partner and we are committed to strengthening our relations even further. 

One of my first formal engagements in this job was signing the new security and defence partnership with Albania or actually witnessing the signing, like we were witnessing it today together with you. And later today we are also launching the first ever EU-Albania strategic security and defence dialogue.  

This marks an important step deepening our cooperation also in the affairs of security. Looking ahead, we aim to expand our collaboration into new areas including fighting hybrid threats, including the cyber security counter terrorism, also crisis management.  

The EU has already provided over €30 million in funding through the European Peace Facility to enhance readiness of Albanian Armed forces. Additionally, we have proposed a joint defence requirement of EU candidate countries, which is under discussion among Member States right now and which could also benefit Albania, if Albania chooses to be part of it. But of course, our cooperation goes beyond security.  

Albania has [an] ambitious agenda to close EU negotiations in the next two years. What I want to say is that there are no shortcuts on the path of accession and it is vital to sustain the high pace of reforms. 

I also understand that the reforms are always quite difficult, so you have our full support when it comes to opening new clusters and meeting the benchmarks, especially the rule of law. 

Albania’s future is in the European Union, and I am also pleased to witness the signing of €90 million agreement with European Investment Bank to reconstruct the railway between Port of Durrës and Rrogozhinë as part of corridor aid project. This project will create new jobs, enhance trade and also improve activity, bringing Albania closer to its neighbours, but also closer to the European Union. It will also serve as a critical route for the member States and NATO for the military mobility in the Southeast Europe. This extremely important in the current security environment. 

Finally, we also discussed the regional developments, and I really value your advice and comments on the situation in the Western Balkans. I think what is important when it comes to Kosovo and Serbia, there can be no progress without full normalisation of the relationship between those two. Of course, I am also going to Bosnia and Herzegovina later this day, to meet with them to try to calm down the situation.  

So, once again I am very grateful to be here and [I am] definitely looking forward coming back for the European political community meeting.  

Thank you again.  

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-270583  
 

Q&A 

Q. Is 2030 a potential year for Albania to become Member of the European Union, and this process of integration is conditioned by certain reforms, such as the one against corruption of high officials? 

2030, is it a realistic target? It is if we all make the steps on the way that we need to do. Albania with the reforms, but not only the reforms to be adopted, but also the reforms to be implemented and there the rule of law is extremely important. It is one of the foundations of European Union and the functioning of European Union, but it is also the foundation for prosperity of the country because if investors trust your legal system, then they also trust to invest in the economy. So, it is also for the benefit of Albania. It is realistic if we all do our homework. Thank you. 

Q. Albania’s EU integration is the main message because it is also close to the 11th of May elections. So, there is a deadline or a position of Prime Minister Rama in charge of the SP majority who said that it is only the SP majority that can take Albania to the EU in 2030 and any political rotation or change can actually impede us but does any political change actually affect this influence 2030? 

Coming from a country that has done the EU accession path, it is clear, that it needs the broad political support of all the political parties because it also requires some very difficult reforms to be done and that needs, broad support. What I understand from here as well, that there is broad support off the people [for] the EU accession path, that the EU is the way, [that] the European Union is something that Albanian people will want to join. So, clearly the difficult reforms need the support of everybody because [in] the end it is not only the reform, but also the implementation of the reform that requires broad support of the political parties. 

Q. The European Union has been a supporter of the reform and justice, as well as all the progress and the fight against corruption and the consolidation of the rule of law. How effective do you think it has been up to now and what is your assessment of what has been achieved so far with high officials being brought to justice?  

The EU reforms have several stages. When it comes to a rule of law or fighting corruption, then first it is to really adopt the reforms. Then the second phase is to implement the reforms and of course then it is also judiciary not only to start the process is but also reach real verdicts. I think this is also important for the public to see that everybody is taking the fight against corruption seriously because it is one of the fundamentals of the rule of law that the taxpayer's money goes for the taxpayer's money is supposed to go.  

Thank you.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-270584