TIRANA, May 7 – Poland has reconfirmed its support to Albania’s EU integration bid as the country awaits a decision by EU leaders to open long-awaited accession talks amid skepticism by some key Western members, offering its expertise on the first negotiating chapters through the Tirana Conference initiative.
The confirmation came on Monday by Poland’s Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz who spoke at a foreign policy forum in Tirana with the Albanian Institute for International Studies, one of the country’s top think tanks, concluding his daylong visit to Albania where he me the country’s leaders.
“Albania is a NATO ally which has been making steady progress in reforms and we are ready to help you. Enlargement is a two-way process of conditions and reforms. If conditions are met, enlargement makes Europe stronger,” Czaputowicz told the AIIS foreign policy.
The Polish top diplomat described the 80 years of Polish-Albanian diplomatic relations as irregular due to interruptions under communism, but long-lasting and ever closer since Albania’s 2009 joining of NATO.
Albania and Poland established diplomatic relations in 1937 soon before WWII but ties between the two countries date back much earlier during the 15th century under Skanderbeg’s era when the two nations aligned against the Ottoman Empire. A Polish geologist who was killed after World War II by the communist regime of late dictator Enver Hoxha contributed to the Albanian discovery of oil and minerals in the first half of the 20th century. The author of Albania’s first geological map in use even today, StanisŠ‚aw Zuber has been immortalized with a monument in the southern Albanian town of Kuà§ova.
Considered as the EU success story, Poland has offered to share its pre-accession experience with Albania under the Tirana Conference, an exchange of information and experience initiative on the first negotiating chapters involving the judiciary and fundamental rights as well as justice, freedom and security under Chapters 23 and 24.
“Poland strongly supports the EU membership of Albania and all of Western Balkan countries. We think the Albanian society should be given a clear message that the European Union welcomes Albania. We share the same story with Albania. We come from the same past regime and have joint interests,” Czaputowicz said at an earlier press conference with his Albanian counterpart Ditmir Bushati.
“We are ready to offer our experience starting from the pre-accession period. The Tirana Conference, that is how we named it today, can also be held in Warsaw, in order to enable the bilateral exchange of information in all fields,” said the Polish Minister.
Albania’s foreign minister Ditmir Bushati said the Tirana Conference would provide invaluable Polish experience on the first two negotiating chapters.
“The Tirana conference is invaluable assistance that Poland provides for Albania in the EU integration process, with a special focus on commitments stemming from Chapters 23 and 24 which will be the first negotiating chapters on EU accession,” said Albania’s foreign minister Bushati, adding that Serbia which has already opened talks, and Macedonia which is pending next June’s European Council decision on launching talks just like Albania, are also benefiting from Polish experience.
The Polish foreign minister also unveiled an Albania-Poland business forum is going to take place this month, the third in the past couple of years as the two countries examine opportunities to boost current modest trade and investment ties at a time when the number of Poles visiting Albania has registered the sharpest increase among foreign tourists.
The Poles made it to the top ten of foreign tourists visiting Albania last year, with a record 74 percent hike to about 115,000 tourists.
Poland’s foreign ministry says minister Czaputowicz’s visit to Tirana confirms Poland’s will to foster very good Polish-Albanian relations in economy, defense, culture and education.
“The visit also proves our appreciation for Albania’s successful efforts to open accession negotiations with the European Union, which have also been recognized by the European Commission in its April enlargement report. The EC paper contains an unconditional recommendation for the Member States to open accession negotiations with Albania, which Poland strongly supports,” said Poland’s foreign ministry.
Charter flights from Warsaw, Gdnask, Kotowice will link Poland to Tirana from June to September 2018 when Poles are expected to remain among top foreign tourists to Albania.
“I am aware that tourism is an important sector of the economy. Albania is a beautiful country and Poles appreciate it, which is confirmed by an increasing number of my compatriots among tourists visiting your country,” minister Czaputowicz told an interview with Tirana Times ahead of his Tirana visit.
The Albanian and Polish prime ministers have met twice in official visits in Tirana and Warsaw during the past couple of years, discussing EU integration and economic cooperation which currently remains quite modest.
Polish foreign direct investment in Albania is estimated at only €2 million while the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries, overwhelmingly dominated by Albanian imports from Poland at about €63 million annually, according to central bank and INSTAT data.
Albert Rakipi, the head of the Albanian Institute for International Studies, says Polish Ambassador to Tirana, Karol Bachura, a career diplomat who has been very active in promoting Poland-Albania ties and Albania to Polish tourists, is the best indicator of the importance that Poland pays to relations with Albania.
A NATO ally and supporter of Albania’s EU integration bid, Poland has been one of the bloc’s most dynamic economies and success stories since joining the EU in 2004.
