Luxembourg – Today, ahead of the 10th Intergovernmental Conference, which will mark the closure of another negotiating chapter with the European Union, Albania took a further step towards closer cooperation with the EU.

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, participated in a meeting held within the framework of the EU General Affairs Council, where the formal association of Albania, together with other Western Balkan partners and candidate countries, with the European Centre for Democratic Resilience was agreed.

The meeting, co-organised by the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission, opened a new phase of cooperation, enabling partners to become involved in the Centre’s practical work to counter foreign information manipulation and interference, as well as threats to democratic processes.

Speaking from Luxembourg, Minister Hoxha said that this marked another important moment in Albania’s journey towards EU membership.

According to him, today’s decision represents another concrete expression of gradual integration in practice: common challenges, common responses, shared responsibility and a joint contribution to a stronger and more resilient Europe.

“Albania has gained valuable experience in addressing cyberattacks and strengthening institutional resilience. We stand ready to further develop this expertise and put it at the service of our joint efforts with our European partners. At the same time, we are increasingly facing foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), a challenge that has proven to be even more complex and demanding. It seeks to affect not only systems, but also trust; not only institutions, but the very foundations and fabric of democratic debate,” Minister Hoxha said.

Referring to the international conference on FIMI and the enlargement context, organised by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in Tirana on 27 July, the Minister also underlined the need for a stronger and more coordinated approach to public communication.

“A whole-of-society response can succeed only when society itself is informed, aware and engaged. When citizens across Europe see Member States and candidate countries working side by side to protect democratic resilience, they understand enlargement for what it truly is: a shared investment in our common future. For Albania, democratic resilience and EU membership are inseparable,” the Minister stated.