In his first official visit to Montenegro, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, emphasized that Albania is already ready for the second Intergovernmental Conference with the EU, as he underlined that the advancement of each of the countries in the integration process is a valuable contribution to the entire region.

Below, the full speech of Minister Igli Hasani in the joint statement to the media with his counterpart Filip Ivanović.

It is a pleasure for me to be in Podgorice today for my first bilateral visit here. I want to thank my colleague Ivanović very much for his hospitality and for the open discussions we had.

This visit is in fact part of a regional tour that aims to share ideas and thoughts on the work that we must do together for the benefit of the region and for the benefit of our citizens, to advance the cooperation and numerous projects between us, but also for the integration of the Western Balkans in the Euro-Atlantic space.

Montenegro is a special partner for Albania. A country, relations with which are a model of good neighborly relations and cooperation. Albania considers Montenegro an irreplaceable ally in NATO and in the entire EU membership process.

Dear Minister, I am pleased to state that the cooperation between our two countries, especially during the last few years, has marked a significant progress. The political dialogue has intensified and our contribution to peace, security and the Euro-Atlantic orientation of the region has been increasing. I am confident that this cooperation will continue with your government.

With colleague Ivanović, we had the opportunity to talk about the deepening of bilateral relations, where an essential part of our discussion was the implementation of the recently signed agreements, at the second joint meeting of the two governments. I am talking here about the agreements for opening new border points, increasing investments and projects in cross-border areas, with a direct impact on increasing the well-being of these areas, road, water and rail transport, with a focus on inclusion in European corridors.

Beyond these projects, in the framework of cross-border cooperation, I appreciate the commitment of our two governments for joint applications for European Union funds for the improvement of interconnection, different road axes, scientific, cultural, educational cooperation as well as in many other fields.

One of the most important projects, as Minister Ivanović also mentioned, is undoubtedly the construction of the bridge over the Buna River, a project that will promote the development perspective in both our countries and serve regional integration and better circulation of goods.

Regarding infrastructure, our countries remain committed to the construction of the Adriatic-Ionian Highway, which should remain one of our strategic priorities, because it connects Central Europe with the Adriatic-Ionian coast, bringing transformation of the economic perspective of the entire region.

We dedicated a special place to the precious role played by the Albanians in Montenegro and the Montenegrin minority in Albania, as unifying elements and an asset for our societies. With the adoption of the Law on Minorities, Albania has given the Montenegrin minority the place and value it deserves.

And on this occasion, I want to particularly welcome the role of the Albanian factor not only in Montenegro, but also in the region, due to the fact that it has always been guided by democratic principles, respecting the constitutional order of the countries where they live and embracing of European values.

The illegal Russian aggression in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East have produced a lot of uncertainty in Europe and the world and have undoubtedly had a significant impact on our region as well. Which today is in one of the most delicate moments of recent years.

Albania, as a NATO member country, sees with concern the role of actors like Russia, who seek to increase tensions and cause destabilization in the region.

We are also worried by the premature developments in the North of Kosovo and by the addition of a rhetoric that calls into question the Euro-Atlantic orientation of the Western Balkans by some forces and groups in different countries of the region.

We are also worried about the slowing down of the pace of reforms in some of the countries of the region. For Albania, the future of the Western Balkans must be guided by democratic values and a clear Euro-Atlantic orientation.

It is precisely this shared vision that underlies the friendship between our countries. We believe that countries like Albania and Montenegro, which are guided by this vision, have the obligation today to work harder to advance integrative reforms and regional cooperation.

This is also the main objective that will inform our work during the leadership of several regional initiatives in 2024, for which we would also welcome the maximum cooperation of Montenegro, as a friendly country and an important partner in this journey.

As you may know, at the end of 2023, Albania successfully passed the test of analytical review of Albanian legislation to assess compliance with acqui, as well as the screening process.

Albania is already ready for the second Intergovernmental Conference according to the evaluations of the European Commission, member countries, reflected in the conclusions of the European Council, dated December 12.

Montenegro is one of the countries in the region that has advanced the most in the integration processes in the EU. We hope that the Montenegrin government will accelerate the pace of reforms even more because the advancement of each of our countries in the integration process is a valuable contribution to the entire region.

I really hope that the good experiences of Montenegro serve Albania, and those of Albania serve Montenegro, for a better and more prosperous future”.