Albania on Road to EU Accession

The EU opening the first chapters of the accession negotiations with Albania is of historic importance, paving the way for a swift process ensuring the country's membership. Hungary’s minister of foreign affairs and trade said in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

The European Union and Albania can celebrate a landmark moment with the opening of the first chapters of Albania's accession talks, which means that the way is now clear for substantive negotiations, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said at the press conference. Hungary's EU commissioner expressed his gratitude to the Hungarian presidency for opening the accession cluster, appreciating that the presidency started its six-month term with not only treating enlargement as a political priority but also making enormous efforts to move the institutional process forward.

"Thanks to the Hungarian presidency, it is now beyond question that enlargement is among the top three priorities for the EU and its leaders," he said. Europe cannot grow stronger without enlargement, the Hungarian EU commissioner added.

He highlighted that the EU adopted in April a six billion euro financial instrument to help the Western Balkans integrate into the EU. The Growth Plan will help speed up the reforms needed to enable the countries concerned to join the bloc as soon as possible, he explained. "The EU's financial instrument has allowed us to start building Europe in Albania," Varhelyi said, adding that this is because Albania has never been shy to do what the path to the EU requires.

The commissioner expressed hope that the work will continue, stressing that it means that with all the EU instruments at its disposal, Albania can prepare for becoming a member of the European Union by the end of the next mandate of the European Commission. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said there is no other future and no other way for his country but the European Union. He stressed that there is no plan B, only belonging to the European community. It is the only way, he underlined. The Albanian prime minister thanked the Hungarian EU presidency, which he said has played a very important role in advancing the accession process.

Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama at the second EU-Albania intergovernmental conference (Source: Facebook/Peter Szijjarto)