At the joint press conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama, Ursula von der Leyen praised Albania's progress in the EU membership process.
She gave three messages for our country.
"The goal is on the horizon, Albania is in the lead in our accession process. Since I was in Tirana last year, Albania has made wonderful progress since then. This is a very important progress, Albania is fully aligned with our foreign and security policy. We see the world with the same eyes. Albania's membership will not only make Albania stronger, but also the EU stronger.
My second message: further reforms are needed in all open chapters. Adopting reforms is important, but it is equally important to fully implement them. This requires real commitment, across political divides.”
My third message is about the results of our growth plan. We bring EU investments to Albania, we open up parts of our common market. At the same time, you adopt and take on the necessary reforms. Albania is doing very well in terms of the growth plan: you have fulfilled over 80 percent of the reform steps”, emphasized Ursula von der Leyen.