Another significant step forward in Albania’s European Union integration path

Prime Minister Edi Rama, together with the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, at the EU Enlargement Wall, highlighted the progress on the open negotiation chapters towards Albania's EU accession.

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European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos:

Please, join us. We need audience.

So, dear Edi, this is the so-called enlargement wall. And, of course, we will now concentrate on this part, because this is really an exemption of how we used to do this, because Albania is so quick. When I came in December, it was almost red, everything. So, red is not open yet, yellow is open, green is provisioned.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Then we need to put yellow there.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos: And since we have just opened another cluster, dear Prime Minister, dear Edi, you have the great honor. I will remove the red and you will put the new one.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Okay.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos: And let's do this. One, two, three, four.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: So, five more to go and we are all done.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos: Yeah. And we will do this, of course, this year as we have planned. And I'm very much supporting your plan to finish negotiations, meaning having all in green until the end of 27, and then, of course, to have you in the EU as soon as possible. I'm deeply impressed with the dedication of you personally. It's about leadership and, of course, about the team, which is doing well, not just you but all the team. So, congratulations once again. It's really a privilege for me to work with you.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Thank you. And it's all our honor. And I want also to thank your team in Albania for being in pain all the time and making sure that we don't lose focus and, we don't think bigger than we should about ourselves. So, it's good.

Thank you.