Shqip
English
On 25 November 2015, Foreign Minister Bushati attended the VII Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of South Eastern Europe in Berlin, at the invitation of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy and the Aspen Institute.
This conference addressed the enlargement package for the Western Balkans, the new methodology of the European Commission in this regard, the refugee and migration crisis, the fight against terrorism and policies of integration into Euro-Atlantic structures.
Focusing on the latest developments and migration crises that the EU and the Western Balkans currently face, ministers highlighted the impact of such phenomena in the everyday life of citizens and the need for a collective approach to deal with them, calling for solidarity, responsibility and pragmatic cooperation between EU and Western Balkans’ member states.
Minister Bushati underlined the key role of the EU as a major factor in shaping the economic, political and social life in the Western Balkans. He also pointed out the attention that must be placed, so that crises such as that of refugees do not affect the enlargement policy of the EU.
In his address, Minister Bushati noted that: "After the good experience of the stability pact in the Western Balkans, the Berlin process has enabled us to make an “interconnectivity pact” and currently, our countries are aiming for a “democracy and development pact”".
In his speech, placing emphasis on the progress made by each regional country in the integration processes, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Steinmeier stated that: "Albania is on the right track and should now carry on with the difficult task of a comprehensive and extensive reform of the justice system."
On his part, Italian Foreign Minister Gentiloni noted that Albania has carried out reforms and should make further efforts towards the opening of accession negotiations. "Italy is engaged in creative processes of regional cooperation, including the Albania-Italy-Serbia Trilateral meeting, the Central European Initiative and the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Macro Region," he stated.
During his stay in Berlin, Minister Bushati also held meetings at the Bundestag and the Federal Chancellery, where he exchanged views on the reform progress in Albania and the latest developments in the region.
