The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, participated in the informal meeting of Ministers for European Affairs, organised in Dublin by the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

During the session dedicated to EU enlargement, support for reforms and the strengthening of administrative capacities, Minister Hoxha shared Albania’s experience with the negotiation process, stressing that our success has been built on a strong sense of responsibility, clear and ambitious objectives, as well as continued support from the EU and its Member States.

“For any endeavour to succeed in a process as challenging as EU accession, strong political will is indispensable. We are making progress on every issue, in every sector and through every reform. Membership of the European Union has never been easy. However, today the process is more demanding and complex than ever. It is therefore essential to maintain the pace of reforms, sustain momentum in the negotiations and ensure continued commitment at every level. Time is of the essence, both for the candidates and for the credibility of the process and of the EU,” Minister Hoxha underlined.

The Minister added that Albania is fully aware of the areas where further efforts are required, particularly with regard to the further strengthening of the rule of law, as well as in sectors such as waste and water management, air quality, environmental infrastructure and food safety.

“These challenges require strong coordination, long-term commitment and substantial investment. The accession process needs all the energy it can receive, both domestically and from our European partners. Our cooperation must become more operational, more concrete and more sustainable,” Hoxha stated.

“As we have emphasised before, finding practical ways to connect Albanian experts, as closely and as frequently as possible, with the structures and working processes of the Commission and the EU would enable us to benefit from valuable expertise, while further strengthening our administrative capacity and, most importantly, deepening our understanding of how the EU institutions operate. This would help ensure that the accession process becomes a genuine accelerator of administrative transformation,” he said.

According to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Albania has entered a decisive phase in its path towards the European Union.

“Our ambition is clear, our work plans are realistic and our determination is strong. We will continue to deliver results and expect the same commitment from the European Union.

The political momentum for enlargement needs no advocacy. The key words remain the same: implementation of reforms by the candidates and due recognition of progress by the Member States,” he concluded.