Dear Chair,

Honourable Members of Parliament,

Thank you for this opportunity. This is one of those important moments in our work.

I would like to focus in particular on what is new in this budget: what we are financing, the new mechanisms and instruments we are building, and, ultimately, what matters most: the results that the implementation of this draft budget will deliver, both today and throughout the coming year, for our citizens, for Albania’s interests, and for our national interests.

As we all know, 2027 is a year of particular significance. Albania aims to conclude its EU accession negotiations, in line with the plan we have jointly developed with the European Commission. To date, we have rigorously adhered to this ambition and this plan.

This requires our political ambition to be matched by the capacities of the state, and for Albanian diplomacy, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and the Foreign Service to be prepared for the new phase our country is entering.

In other words, we are not simply proposing a budget to ensure the functioning of an administrative apparatus, such as the Ministry or our diplomatic service abroad. We are proposing an investment in Albania’s international capacity and preparedness, embracing from today the mindset of a future European Union Member State.

Our priorities for 2027

Allow me to summarise our priorities under nine main areas.

European integration and the conclusion of EU accession negotiations

Our objective, as I mentioned, is to conclude the technical phase, the final stage of the technical process, by December 2027. This will give us the time to complete the remaining political steps and make it possible for Albania to join the European Union within this decade.

Euro-Atlantic security and Albania’s role in NATO

We will continue to make an active contribution to collective security. The Deputy Minister has also referred to the defence budget.

We will continue our participation in Alliance missions and operations, cooperation in defence, intelligence and cybersecurity, as well as our efforts to address what has become increasingly prominent: hybrid threats and, in particular, disinformation.

This will be done in close coordination with our allies.

Albanians in the region and the stability of the Western Balkans

Through regional cooperation and bilateral and multilateral relations in our region, we will strengthen cooperation, coordination and our unwavering, comprehensive support for Kosovo.

We will strengthen our engagement in support of the rights of Albanians in North Macedonia, Montenegro and the Preševo Valley, alongside our support for the European integration process of our country and of the other countries in the region.

We will pursue these objectives through regional cooperation, cross-border projects and all the initiatives in which we are engaged, approximately 70 at the regional level, including the most important one: the Berlin Process.

Strategic partnerships and bilateral relations

Naturally, we maintain relations with all countries. We have friendly relations and no country with which we have poor relations. However, we have closer, priority relationships, which we refer to as strategic partnerships, with a number of countries: the United States, Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Türkiye.

With Greece, we are engaged in an even more detailed process of discussion, coordination and consensus, with a view to resolving, within the shortest possible timeframe, the entire range of outstanding issues on our bilateral agenda.

Multilateral diplomacy and Albania’s international profile

As a small country, Albania believes in multilateralism, international cooperation and international law, which provide the strongest guarantee for protecting our rights in the international arena.

To this end, we will continue our active engagement in the United Nations, the OSCE and the Council of Europe on security, human rights and sustainable development.

We will advance initiatives related to Albanian and national interests. We will also advance Albania’s candidacies wherever we consider them necessary and beneficial to our country.

We will likewise promote the candidacies of Albanian experts wherever we believe they can bring added value, by putting forward the right candidates and promoting what is becoming increasingly important: public, digital and, naturally, cultural diplomacy, in support of our country’s image.

Economic diplomacy

Economic diplomacy is no longer merely a slogan. It is no longer simply a tool in our work plans. We want to integrate economic diplomacy into our daily activities and into the work of our diplomatic missions in a meaningful way, in line with the country’s development interests.

We will do so by promoting our exports. We want our missions to remain permanently, continuously and consistently connected to the needs of our country’s economic representation abroad, through exports, various economic partnerships and what has always been, and will continue to be, one of the core responsibilities of our Foreign Service: attracting foreign investment.

Above all, however, we will seek to maximise our potential by becoming more capable, more effective and better connected, so that we can support our economy through other economic actors, as well as through the economic potential of our diaspora.

The diaspora and the preservation of national identity

We will implement the National Diaspora Strategy 2026–2030, which we have discussed previously, by strengthening identity and educational, cultural and economic ties with our compatriots, and by expanding, in particular, the teaching of the Albanian language.

I will elaborate on this in more detail later, through the new initiative “Teachers for Italy”, which builds on the “Teachers for Greece” initiative.

Consular services and virtual diplomatic presence

We will maintain a physical diplomatic presence wherever we have the capacity to be present, and a virtual presence wherever we cannot, or where we do not yet have the means to establish a physical presence.

Consular services are an important part of public service, and we aim to further modernise them so that consular assistance is no longer limited to specific working hours or designated days, but is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Where possible, we will be physically present, in accordance with the relevant working hours and procedures requiring physical attendance. Where feasible, we will increasingly expand the scope of our services through virtual presence.

Institutional strengthening of the Foreign Service

We will implement the new legal framework, namely the law adopted by this Committee a few months ago.

We will further professionalise the diplomatic career and strengthen the Diplomatic Academy, which has existed for some time but to which we intend to give a meaningful, genuine and effective role in the education and training of our diplomats.

We will strengthen our network of diplomatic missions. You know that we have opened a number of new missions, and we will adapt our network as closely as possible to the country’s needs, with the mindset of a future EU Member State. This means not only opening new missions, but also strengthening existing ones.

Above all, one new development in our external engagement will be the establishment of the Agency for International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. I will return to this element in greater detail.

A record budget, bringing greater responsibility for delivering results

The 2027 draft budget of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs amounts to a record 3.9 billion lek, or approximately 40 million euros.

This represents an increase of 220.4 million lek, or 6%, compared with 2026.

This budget has been prepared within a fiscal framework of approximately 976 billion lek in public expenditure for 2027. The MFEA accounts for only around 0.4% of this total.

This is a relatively modest share of the state budget, yet it finances some of the state’s most strategic objectives: European integration, security, international representation, the protection of national interests and services for Albanian citizens abroad.

Under the 2027 budget, we allocate approximately 1.3 billion lek for the operation of our diplomatic missions.

In addition, 300 million lek are dedicated to supporting the diplomatic agenda, public diplomacy and economic diplomacy, with an expanded role and a clearly defined focus.

Because Albania’s presence in the world must deliver more than representation. It must generate influence, relationships, visibility, investment and concrete opportunities for our country and our citizens.

And, above all, it must support domestic production, particularly in view of the fact that, in a few years, our plans will have materialised and Albania will be a member of the European Union. Our businesses will then face even greater competition within the internal market.

That is why it is important to start thinking today about how we will promote our businesses and products, so that they are prepared and competitive in a large market that extends beyond what we have considered until now, namely the regional market.

We will be part of a market of 450 million consumers.

For the European Union agenda, pursued both by the Ministry and through our missions abroad, we have allocated 180 million lek.

For bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activities carried out by the Ministry, which naturally also take place in EU Member States and other European countries, as well as wherever we are represented and, in particular, through international organisations, we have made 220 million lek available.

We must not forget how important it is for Albania, as a small country, to have a strong voice and defend its interests in international forums.

Meanwhile, approximately 235 million lek are allocated to financially support Albania’s role in international organisations and multilateral forums, ensuring active participation and the responsible fulfilment of the obligations arising from our membership.

In diplomacy, credibility is also built by honouring our commitments.

A country that seeks to have a voice at regional, European and international tables must also be a serious and reliable partner.

This places a major responsibility on us: to perform as effectively as possible, at home, in the region, in Europe and throughout the world.

Special attention to diplomatic memory as a national asset

This budget also introduces an important new element related to the institutional memory of Albanian diplomacy.

We have begun digitising the entire historical archive of the MFEA. Part of the work has been completed, part is ongoing, and the remainder will be carried out next year.

This is extremely important. First, it will ensure that we preserve, in the most modern way possible, an asset that represents not only the memory of the diplomatic activities of the Albanian state, but also a resource that will become easier and more accessible for anyone wishing to use it, whether for research or for information.

Strengthening capacities for the 2027 European objective

Albania aims to conclude its EU accession negotiations in 2027.

This objective requires not only political will, but also capacity. It requires high-quality representation and institutional coordination, both internally and externally, as well as the ability to negotiate.

It requires us to make it clear in Brussels that we are not joining the EU politically alone, but with all our institutions, capacities, negotiating teams and the professional skills of the Albanian public administration.

Tomorrow, the Albanian public administration will have to defend not only Albania’s interests, but also European interests, because we will find ourselves in a situation where European interests must be protected in different parts of the world.

And it will be not only the voice, but also the policies and capabilities of Albanians, whether in Tirana or in Brussels, that will matter.

For this reason, the draft budget provides particular support for strengthening our Mission to the European Union, which is not the only one, but is the primary centre for managing the burden of negotiations, ensuring that we are well informed and sharing information.

The staff of this Mission will double within this year. I believe that, within next year, we will also see a substantial increase in the number of staff, not only from the Foreign Service, but also from different parts of the public administration, in line with the progress of the negotiations and the obligations we have to respond to and defend our interests before the European Union.

Overall, we will strengthen our diplomatic network.

As I said, it is very important that we start working today with the mindset of a future EU Member State and with the responsibility of representing our shared interests.

This means that the quality of our diplomatic representation must also rise to the level of Albania’s European ambition.

The increase in funding for our network abroad amounts to 161.7 million lek, while 30 million lek are earmarked for investments in this network.

When I refer to investments, I mean those related to secure communications and to facilitating communication and interaction with our missions.

We have a significant need to renew our communication systems and adapt them to European practices, which we will soon become part of.

Our choice is clear: to strengthen Albania’s presence wherever dialogue takes place, wherever Albania’s interests, and therefore our national interests, are shaped, and wherever networks and alliances are built.

Where we have friends, but also partners with whom we must share what we have in common, discuss, debate, agree or disagree on issues that require further work.

Above all, however, we must jointly build what we share: our future in the European Union.

We do not simply aim to have a diplomatic network that functions.

And this is one of my commitments, together with my colleagues, career diplomats and everyone invested in the same mission: to have a diplomatic network that not only represents us, but also delivers results.

Results that are tangible, visible and in the interests of our country and our citizens.

From a recipient country to a contributing country

For 35 years, Albania has benefited from the assistance, solidarity and understanding of others.

We continue to benefit today from cooperation programmes provided by countries, institutions and international organisations.

We want to gradually reverse this trend, embracing the mindset of a Member State and recognising that we must begin thinking now about how to repay the solidarity of others with solidarity, and assistance with assistance.

Not only as a recipient country, but also as a contributing country.

We will do this through the Agency.

This will be a modest initial initiative, with a budget of 32.5 million lek for the Agency for International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid.

Naturally, we will begin with cooperation programmes in the region, initially focusing on the broader Albanian-speaking area, wherever Albanian communities are present, wherever needs are greatest and wherever we can provide assistance and build meaningful partnerships.

Of course, our efforts will not be limited to this area. Over the years, we will have a broader scope to contribute and provide assistance in other countries of the region as well.

This is, of course, a new instrument that is currently being developed and will follow the necessary approval procedures, like any other similar initiative.

However, it will be based on three principles, which will be non-negotiable.

First, it will have clear priorities: what we intend to do and what impact and results we expect.

Second, transparency in the use of funds, given that these are funds spent abroad.

And, absolutely, third, verifiable results.

All these elements will be clearly defined in the way the Agency is established, how it operates, and the mechanisms for implementation and monitoring.

“Teachers for Italy”: language as a bond with our country, homeland and heritage

In 2027, we also plan to expand the initiative we have so far implemented in Greece, extending it to Italy.

Building on the experience of the “Teachers for Greece” project, which has proven highly successful, the Albanian state pays certified teachers who work in schools and practise their respected profession as teachers, receiving a monthly salary.

We have implemented this project in Greece. We have taken the necessary time to assess how it has functioned, how it has progressed, what results it has delivered and how much support it has provided to schools and students.

We are convinced that this is a good and successful initiative that should be expanded as widely as possible. For this reason, we will extend it to Italy as well.

Naturally, we will seek to expand it as much as possible, in line with the resources available to us.

We know that needs exceed our means, but allocating resources is always a process of negotiation, determining where the funds should go and where the most pressing needs lie.

This is one of the elements we have identified together with the Ministry of Education as an area in which we must continue to invest, expanding the circle of beneficiaries.

The Albanian language is the first element, and one of the strongest bridges between the children of our diaspora and their country, homeland, culture and heritage.

If we preserve the language, we will also be more successful in preserving the other elements connected to it.

This commitment is directly linked to the National Diaspora Strategy 2026–2030.

Albania’s diplomatic presence abroad

How can we be as close as possible to our citizens?

This is a new dimension of our presence, made possible through technology, which we have termed virtual presence.

It is impossible for us to be physically present everywhere we would like to be.

We will do our utmost to be present wherever it is absolutely necessary and essential, wherever our interests converge, wherever our communities are located and wherever we see opportunities to do more.

But we will never be able to be physically present everywhere we need to be.

In this way, we are building a virtual presence that is available 24 hours a day to anyone who wishes not only to be informed, not only to learn more about Albania, not only to receive timely information on matters of interest, whether related to travel, tourism or opportunities for exploration, but, above all, to access services.

We have developed a virtual visa assistant, given that, when Albania joins the European Union, we will progressively move towards a revised visa regime.

However, we want to ensure that this transition takes place without any disruption, particularly in situations where citizens from a number of countries who currently travel to Albania without visas may, in the future, be required to obtain them.

The transition must be as smooth as possible, so that it does not affect tourist mobility or the number of tourists visiting Albania.

We will achieve this by making almost all consular services available online, 24 hours a day, except for those that strictly require physical presence and biometric procedures.

This means not simply maintaining the services we currently provide through our missions, but simplifying them and making them easier, faster and more accessible.

We will achieve this through technology.

The draft budget provides 9 million lek for investments in computer systems and software, as well as 30 million lek for investments in our diplomatic network.

The objective is for technology to shorten the distance between citizens and the state.

Our citizens, as well as foreign nationals, should be able to understand more easily which service they need, which documents they must prepare and where they should turn.

A Foreign Service worthy of our country’s ambition

Last but certainly not least, I would like to address the kind of Foreign Service we want today and tomorrow.

What kind of Foreign Service do we want, in terms of the standards of European Union Member States, and in line with the expectations, maturity and ambitions of our society and our country?

This is what we always refer to as reform.

The word “reform” should simply be understood as a demand for more, for better and for faster; as a demand for improvement, rather than change for the sake of change.

The year 2027 aims to see the full implementation of the new Law No. 24/2026 “On the Foreign Service”.

This is a law that was recently adopted by this Committee, together with a number of implementing acts, some of which have already been processed, while others are being finalised, so that the law can become applicable as soon as possible.

The pace of the European integration process requires a Foreign Service that moves at the same pace, one that is not only fully informed and engaged, but also aware of its responsibility as part of the public administration to ensure that our interests are protected at every level, in every region, in every capital and in every country across the European space, at the level required by our ambition, our expectations, our needs and what we all seek to achieve together.

This requires an institutional structure that is capable and equipped with the necessary skills, one that understands the role it assumes, and that protects not only Albania, but Albania, Albanians and our national interests.

And, when the time comes, it will also protect European interests.

We therefore need a diplomacy staffed by active professionals who do not go to diplomatic missions simply to complete their rotation and obtain their next promotion, but who go there to represent our country, advance our interests, defend them and ensure that they are closely aligned with the country’s development and needs.

This cannot be achieved simply by increasing staff numbers, although such an increase is planned, because our needs will grow.

I believe that, over the medium-term budget period, we will have greater needs for better representation wherever we identify additional requirements.

These needs are currently under discussion.

We have a modest increase in staffing for next year, which addresses the main requirements of our Mission in Brussels. However, we will seek to provide the strongest possible justification for our needs, in order to fulfil all our requests over the next two to three years.

Because the most important investment in diplomacy is the investment in the people who represent Albania.

Mr Chair,

These are the points I wanted to share with you. I would like to conclude by saying that the value of a budget is not measured by its size, by how many billions of lek or millions of euros it amounts to, nor by how much funding is spent. It will be measured by the results we achieve with the resources available to us.

It will be measured by the capacities we build, the projects we implement, the interests we defend, the quality of our services to citizens, which is of utmost importance, and our ability to protect the interests of our country.

Therefore, everything we use from the state budget must, and we will do everything possible to ensure that it does, go where it is needed: towards strengthening capacities in support of our shared interests, our joint work plans and, ultimately, the dignified representation of Albania and our national interests.

Thank you!