Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus European Affairs Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna and Albanian chief negotiator Majlinda Dhuka held a telephone call on Monday to discuss the next steps in Albania’s efforts to join the European Union.
Call focuses on reforms and accession progress
Raouna said Albania is “continuing its steady progress on its reform path” regarding legal reforms required for EU accession. She said enlargement is a “top priority” of Cyprus’ six-month term holding the Council of the European Union’s rotating presidency, which is due to conclude at the end of next month.
She added that EU enlargement is a goal Cyprus will continue to advance “with determination and a results-oriented approach, in line with the merit-based process”.
EU officials cite Albania’s status in accession process
European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos described Albania in March as “a frontrunner in the EU accession process”, with the final negotiation cluster for EU membership having been opened in November last year.
In April, Kos said Albania “still has a lot of work ahead, but it has already made substantial progress” toward EU membership. She told The Parliament magazine that interim benchmarks related to the rule of law were being approved, and that once these are in place, Albania can begin closing chapters. She added that Albanian leadership aims to conclude negotiations by 2027 or 2028, and said, “we support it”.
Rama and Vucic call for accelerated integration
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic penned a joint article in German newspaper Frankfuter Allgemeine Zeitung calling for an accelerated process of integration into the EU, under which both countries would be gradually incorporated into the bloc.
Their proposal would see both countries join the European single market and the Schengen zone, but not be immediately entitled to European commissioners, members of the European Parliament, or veto rights at the European Council level.
The article followed earlier remarks by Rama as discussions about a “two-speed Europe” grew at the beginning of the year.
What do you think would be the most significant step in Albania’s path toward EU membership?
