Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban received Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in his office at the Carmelite monastery on Friday. Hungary's prime minister shared a post about the meeting on his social media account, writing:
Real accession negotiations will start between Albania and the EU.
Albania should have joined the European Union a long time ago, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a press statement after talks with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Budapest on Friday.
The Hungarian prime minister said that he and his Albanian counterpart also discussed the situation in Europe, and the future of the Western Balkans and European politics.
Now we need to help our Albanian friends, because the Western Balkan countries have been waiting an average of 15 years to join the European Union,
he said. He added that there are enough problems in Europe - as discussed in Strasbourg this week - and the most obvious remedy for these problems would be for the EU to finally admit the countries of the Western Balkans.
Viktor Orban and Edi Rama agreed to continue bilateral cooperation. Hungary is open to the Albanian business community and is ready to participate more heavily in the modernization of Albania's economy.
Peter Szijjarto also shared a post on Facebook after the visit, writing:
A historic success during Hungary's EU presidency!
Next week, the first EU-Albania intergovernmental conference will be held in Luxembourg to open the first negotiation cluster with Albania, thus real accession negotiations will start between the EU and Albania.
We have set the acceleration of enlargement as one of the top priorities for Hungary's presidency. Hungary has accomplished this,
Hungary's minister of foreign affairs and trade highlighted.
Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (Source: Facebook/Edi Rama)
