Sofia, Bulgaria – The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, participated in the Conference on Corridor VIII, hosted by Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Velislava Petrova, in Sofia.

The Sofia Conference follows the Ministerial Meeting on Corridor VIII, hosted by Albania in Tirana in February this year, which established a common political vision for advancing this strategic corridor.

In his remarks, Minister Hoxha stressed that the focus must now be on translating political commitment into concrete results.

“Today, in Sofia, our focus is clear: to turn political commitment into concrete implementation. The success of Corridor VIII will not be measured by declarations, but by implementation. For Albania, this means building a single, fully functional corridor, rather than a series of disconnected national projects,” Minister Hoxha stated.

Highlighting the strategic importance of Corridor VIII, the Minister described it as much more than a transport project.

“It is a strategic East–West gateway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Black Sea, bringing together our economies, energy networks, security interests and our shared European future,” Minister Hoxha said.

According to the Minister, Corridor VIII is also a project of particular European importance, with the potential to make the benefits of European integration tangible even before membership.

“Better connectivity means more trade, lower transport costs, greater investment and increased competitiveness. Above all, it brings our citizens, businesses and markets closer together,” the Minister stated.

In this context, Minister Hoxha stressed that regional connectivity is inseparable from security, highlighting the strategic importance of the area encompassing the Adriatic, the Western Balkans and the Black Sea.

“The Adriatic, the Western Balkans and the Black Sea are part of the same strategic space. Strengthening Corridor VIII also means strengthening the infrastructure, mobility and resilience that underpin our security, deterrence and collective defence,” he declared.

Minister Hoxha also underlined the importance Albania attaches to advancing military mobility and promoting closer coordination between the European Union and NATO on priority dual-use infrastructure.

In conclusion, the Minister stressed that political consensus on Corridor VIII already exists and that attention should now focus on concrete steps towards its implementation.

“Political consensus already exists. What is needed now is a clear list of priority projects, realistic timelines, stronger coordination among governments and a sustainable mechanism for monitoring implementation,” Minister Hoxha said.

“Albania is not only committed; we have entered the implementation phase. We will do our part to turn Corridor VIII from a vision into reality,” concluded the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.