Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha has delivered a message on the occasion of the Ninth Intergovernmental Conference, describing Albania’s European integration process as a reflection of sustained hard work, institutional commitment, and political determination.

Minister Hoxha highlighted several key milestones which, in his view, illustrate the remarkable journey of Albania’s accession process:

14 October 2024 – Albania had not yet opened any negotiating chapters.

17 November 2025 – Albania had opened all 33 negotiating chapters.

26 May 2026 – Albania became the first negotiating country to achieve the Interim Benchmark Assessment Report (IBAR) under the new enlargement methodology.

14 July 2026 – Albania entered the final phase of the accession negotiations by provisionally closing its first three negotiating chapters:

Chapter 25 – Science and Research

Chapter 26 – Education and Culture

Chapter 30 – External Relations

According to Minister Hoxha, what may appear as dates on a timeline are, in fact, historic milestones reflecting an extraordinary transformation—one driven by relentless effort, genuine and sustained institutional commitment, strong determination, and unwavering political will.

He emphasized that when ambition is matched by results, progress becomes possible, visible, measurable, and tangible.

“The enlargement wall is changing once again.”