Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/eudebates The second Albania-EU intergovernmental conference for the opening of the main chapters was held today in Luxembourg. In his speech at this conference, Prime Minister Edi Rama commented on the moment when Albania and North Macedonia came together on the path to EU membership, making each other's journey conditional, something that, according to him, was unfair to both countries. "Albania has been coercively joined with others many times, they joined us with the Italians, with the Stalinists. Quite suddenly we found ourselves united with RMV, it was not so bad that we could share the gloomy situations with each other waiting for the EU. When I talk about our humiliations, we were denied membership three times, RMV changed its name to follow this, so I stand by everything I said about our Bulgarian friends; history cannot be a reason to stop membership talks for any country", said Rama. He emphasized that in the past the EU has been unfair to candidate countries such as Albania, when it rejected the recommendations drawn up by the European Commission itself. "It has been 5 long challenging and not easy years, I stand here before this significant step for the integration of Albania in the EU. Unfortunately, with the help of Vladimir Putin, this process gained a new speed after his aggression in Ukraine, which reminded Europe that you need the Western Balkans. The opening of the chapter group with 5 basic chapters and the criteria marks a historical cornerstone towards the complete European reunification. Yesterday I was in Berlin where I participated in the Berlin Summit and a journalist asked me: Does Albania have a plan B if the EU delays the process again as it has done in the past. The EU has often been unfair to the candidate countries, it was unfair to us when it rejected the recommendations drawn up by its own commission, based on facts, but we cannot have an EU plan when it comes to the rule of law and democracy that does not can be guaranteed outside the EU. Albania has fulfilled all the prerequisites to start this phase of integration", said Rama. Albania took a step toward joining the EU by starting formal negotiations. But the path ahead is still far from clear. After years stuck in the European Union's waiting room, Albania started formal talks on joining the bloc on Tuesday. Prime Minister Edi Rama said the meeting in Luxembourg was "historic" and "emotional." And, he insisted, there is no turning back. "Choosing an alternative to full EU membership would be like giving up the way of life we finally choose after enduring ages of darkness under empires and regimes that were imposed on us," Rama told reporters. "It's a matter of life or death for our dream to leave future generations a country where individual freedom is unquestionable, the rule of law is respected, and democracy functions for everyone." The EU has a long list of criteria for aspirant members, ranging from functioning democratic institutions to anti-corruption measures and guarantees for press freedom. Membership hopefuls have to prove alignment with standards or implement reforms to achieve them. Now, Albanian officials start the nitty-gritty of negotiations for the conditions under which the country can join the club. Albania aiming for 2030 Rama wants to secure his spot at the EU leaders' table by the end of this decade. However, there are no official dates or timelines in the EU accession process, and it tends to take years or even decades. He acknowledged it's an "ambitious" goal, not least given the EU's history of delaying, disagreeing and dodging serious discussions on enlargement. EU enlargement was once seen as a long, winding and painful road to nowhere. Michael Emerson, a researcher with the Centre for European Policy Studies, says the bloc has been "pretending the enlargement process is alive" by offering piecemeal integration steps that amount to little more than enhanced partnership agreements that "can go on for as long as the eye can see." North Macedonia, Albania's eastern neighbor, has been waiting since 2009 for member states to accept the EU executive's recommendations that it begin formal accession talks. Serbia has been negotiating membership details for 10 years, Montenegro for 12. North Macedonia left waiting in the wings? However, Emerson remains skeptical of whether EU states will really deliver on their recent promises to speed up enlargement. Albania was once coupled on its path to Brussels with North Macedonia, a country which has even changed its name to satisfy Greece. Stay connected with us! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eudebates.tv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/eudebates Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eudebates.tv/ #eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #Albania #EdiRama #President #europeanunion #europe

• published: 16 Oct 2024
• views: 2000