TIRANA, Sept. 6 – Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati has demanded EU officials give a clear timeframe for Albania’s EU path after what has been a stalled bid to open negotiations and a vague long-term promise for membership.
Bushati said 2018 will be crucial for advancing Albania’s relations with the European Union. Speaking at the National Integration Council, Minister Bushati, who will be in charge of integration after Prime Minister Edi Rama disbanded the Ministry of Integration, said that in the spring of 2018, the European Union will discuss the package enlargement and it was imperative for Albania to move the bid forward.
“2019 will be a renewal year of institutions in the EU. And when there are renovations of institutions and mandates, there is not necessarily a focus on this kind of process,” Bushati said. “The EU moves, though not with the kind of speed and momentum we would like to move. But it is certain that where there is a will for reform, where there is a will for transformation.”
