The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Elisa Spiropali, welcomed in Tirana the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Albania, Andreas Schieder, whom she described as “a strong supporter of the enlargement process and, in particular, of Albania’s EU membership.”

Through a social media message, Minister Spiropali highlighted that she and the Rapporteur “share positive assessments of the progress achieved so far in the negotiations, particularly regarding the deep reforms in the areas of the rule of law and fundamental rights.”

They focused on the prospect of reaching the interim benchmarks (IBAR) as soon as possible, a decisive step that will pave the way for the closure of negotiation chapters. According to Minister Spiropali, this process will place Albania in 2026 in a new, more concrete and measurable phase on the path to EU membership.

Full statement:

I was very pleased to welcome the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Albania, @SCHIEDER, for a constructive and substantive meeting. A prominent and consistent advocate
of the EU enlargement process, he remains a steadfast supporter of Albania’s accession to the European Union.

Our discussions focused on the pivotal role of the European Parliament in overseeing the accession negotiations, as well as on the significance of the forthcoming report on Albania in reinforcing the positive assessment of the progress achieved and in shaping the subsequent stages of the process.

We exchanged views on the advancement of negotiations to date, the implementation of far-reaching reforms, particularly in the areas of the rule of law and fundamental rights and Albania’s unwavering and continued alignment of its foreign policy with that of the European Union, alongside its sustained convergence with EU values, policies, and positions.

In this context, particular attention was given to the timely achievement of the Interim Benchmarks (IBAR), a critical milestone that will enable the opening of the chapter-closing phase, positioning Albania in 2026 at a new, more concrete, and measurable stage on its path toward European Union membership.