EC president starts WB reassurance tour in Tirana

TIRANA, Sept. 28 – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in Albania at the start of a Western Balkans tour, in which she is expected to reassure jaded Albania and North Macedonia that the long delayed start of accession talks will take place by the end of the year. 

Both countries have received the green light from the European Council to open membership talks, but the organization of an intergovernmental conference marking the official start of the process has been blocked by one hurdle after another for years, the latest being Bulgaria’s veto on North Macedonia, with Tirana going along for the ride due to its coupling with Skopje.

“I fully support the progress of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia as soon as possible. I am really determined to do it, to have our first Intergovernmental Conference, in order to start accession talks before the end of the year. This is the goal,” President von der Leyen said in Tirana. 

There is little joy in Tirana, however, with Prime Minister Edi Rama noting that it was hard to show enthusiasm, given that the integration process has had many setbacks along the way, due to the attitudes of some of the member states. 

“I have said it before and I repeat it, I do not bet on any date or deadline, I wait with complete calm as the case when it happens, as when it does not happen,” Rama said. “Albania has done its job in relation to the EU. In relation to the future, we have many things to do, and we must move forward.”

Following the joint press conference with  Prime Minister Rama and a meeting with President Ilir Meta, von der Leyen attended the inauguration of the new school and kindergarten in Fushe Kruje, which were rebuilt with EU funding after suffering earthquake damage.  The EU4Schools program, being implemented by UNDP, is building and repairing 63 education facilities. 

Speaking at the school ceremony, the EC president admitted the EU had “a difficult start” in the vaccination process, but added “we are also ready to overcome it, and the EU team has donated many doses and more will come.”

She urged Albanians to get vaccinated as the best way to overcome the pandemic. 

“We need to increase the rate of vaccination,” she said, urging faith in science.

President von der Leyen’s official visit to Tirana is the first stop of a tour she is undertaking in several Western Balkan countries. Her visit precedes the EU-Western Balkans Summit, which is scheduled to take place on Oct. 6 in Slovenia.

After she left Tirana, President von der Leyen traveled to Skopje, where she met with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, as well as President Stevo Pendarovski.

On Wednesday morning, President Von der Leyen will be in Prishtina, where she will hold talks with President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti. The president will then travel to Podgorica, where she will be received by President Milo Djukanovic and Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic. 

Also on Wednesday evening, the president of the European Commission will be in Belgrade, where she will meet with President Aleksandar Vucic, and the next morning will hold talks with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. Her last stop, Thursday night, will be Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Sarajevo, she will meet with members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As in Albania, in all her visits, she is also visiting projects and works financed with EU funds to highlight the investment of the EU in the region. 

The president of the European Commission is the head of the executive branch of the European Union and is the highest official representing the European Union abroad.