The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs welcomes the European Commission’s communication on EU Enlargement Policy and the 2024 report on Albania, presented today. This assessment underscores Albania’s progress in its European integration journey and highlights the steps needed to enhance our preparedness for EU membership.

Albania remains committed to its strategic goal of EU integration, having made significant strides in the accession negotiations. The recent intergovernmental conference on October 15, 2024, marked the opening of discussions on Cluster 1—Fundamentals, emphasizing our focus on democratic institutions, rule of law, and combating corruption.

We are encouraged by the positive evaluation in the report, which acknowledges our achievements and reinforces our readiness to accelerate negotiations for further clusters. Albania’s alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including support for sanctions against Russia, demonstrates our role as a reliable partner.

Our active participation in regional initiatives and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans reflects our commitment to cooperation and integration. We are eager to utilize opportunities for accelerated integration into the EU common market.

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs firmly believes that EU membership for the Western Balkans aligns with the interests of the Union, and we are optimistic that the renewed focus on enlargement will lead to concrete steps toward this shared goal.

We also congratulate our partners in the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighborhood for their recognition in the respective reports, affirming their strategic aspirations for EU membership.