Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated in Tirana during her opening address at the inaugural EU-Western Balkans Investment Forum that Albania is progressing well on its path to EU membership.
She commended the Albanian government’s efforts and expressed her support for Prime Minister Edi Rama’s goal of concluding the negotiation chapters by the end of 2027.
“You have made significant progress, which is particularly noteworthy given the rapid pace of advancements over the last three years,” von der Leyen remarked.
Additionally, she highlighted that the Albanian economy has gained access to the common market and new EU investments.
Von der Leyen noted that as Albania fulfills reforms, it could access approximately 1 billion euros from the Growth Plan fund.
Moreover, with Albania’s entry into SEPA, transactions between Albania and the EU will be safer and more cost-effective.
“A third example is roaming. We reached an agreement with operators in 2023, and next year we will eliminate all roaming charges between Albania and the EU,” she added.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama emphasized the rapid progress in the EU negotiation process and expressed gratitude for the European Commission’s support.
He thanked the Commission, particularly President von der Leyen, for her unwavering support for Albania’s full EU membership journey.
Von der Leyen visited Tirana as part of the first “European Union-Western Balkans” Investment Forum held on October 13-14.
She was officially welcomed by Prime Minister Edi Rama on “Dëshmorët e Kombit” Boulevard and had a meeting with President Bajram Begaj on October 13.
Leave a Reply