On Monday, April 14, Albania conducted its fourth intergovernmental conference with the European Union in Luxembourg, successfully launching the second negotiation chapter titled “Internal Market.”
The EU delegation was led by Radosław Sikorski, the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, along with Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.
Prime Minister Edi Rama headed the Albanian delegation, which included various ministers, deputy ministers, and officials responsible for the respective negotiation chapters.
Commissioner Kos praised Albania as a success story in the integration process, highlighting its potential to serve as a model for other countries in the region. She urged the continuation of reforms aimed at completing all negotiation chapters within the current year and deemed Albania’s ambition to achieve EU membership by 2030 as both challenging and attainable.
Prime Minister Rama conveyed his optimism regarding the 2030 membership goal, emphasizing the urgency of the task ahead. “Our aspiration is to join this union by 2030, and our plan is to finalize all negotiations by 2027, which means we must work diligently every day. There is still much to accomplish,” Rama stated.
Silvio Gonzato, the EU Ambassador in Tirana, viewed the opening of the Internal Market chapter as a significant milestone in Albania’s European journey. He noted that it is now crucial for Albania to adopt and implement necessary reforms related to EU standards.
Ambassador Gonzato stressed that aligning with EU legislation will bring Albania closer to a united and secure Europe. “The EU will continue to support Albania at every step of this journey,” he affirmed. (April 15)
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