The Regional Growth Plan and Convergence Summit concluded in Albania, where the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union (EU) as well as the implementation of the EU Growth Plan for the region were discussed.
At the end of the summit, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi held a joint press conference.
In his speech here, Prime Minister Rama described the Regional Growth Plan as an important platform that accelerates the entry of regional countries into the EU.
Rama said that for the first time, all Western Balkans agreed that the EU was not doing business as usual and was taking steps to bring them closer, and that this was the result of the dialogue that took place.
Rama, who was asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s statements regarding joint arms production at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit held in the capital Tirana yesterday, made the following statements:
“When it comes to military industry and weapons production, neither we, nor Serbia, or Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Croatia, have such production, we do not have a military equipment manufacturing industry. First of all, we want it for ourselves. There is nothing extraordinary in the proposal. President Zelenskyy told us about the possibility of cooperation, which means investment, production and cooperation, and of course, not only Albania, everyone said ‘yes’, so this is a process.”
“You can’t have such good relations with your neighbors if you prevent them from progressing.”
Varhelyi also noted that today’s summit was also a great incentive for everyone to move forward faster.
“We agreed in Brussels that Albania is ready to start negotiations on the first group of chapters and that the EU should have the opportunity to make that decision. I understand the importance of good neighbourly relations, but you cannot have such good relations with your neighbours if you block their progress,” Varhelyi said in response to a question on the possibility of Greece obstructing Albania’s European integration.
The arrest of Greek politician Alfred Beleri on May 12, prior to the local elections held in Albania on May 14 last year, on charges of “active electoral corruption”, sparked reactions from political parties and authorities in Albania and Greece.
Greece had warned that it would prevent Albania’s EU membership and had drawn attention to the issue of “respecting the rights of ethnic minorities in the country”.
During the summit, an agreement was signed between the College of Europe, the Albanian Ministry of Education and Sports and the University of Tirana regarding the opening of the College of Europe Campus in Tirana.
The agreement was signed by the Albanian Minister of Education and Sports Ogerta Manastirliu, the rector of the College of Europe Federica Mogherini and the rector of the University of Tirana Artan Hoxha.
The one-day summit hosted by Albanian Prime Minister Rama was attended by Varhelyi, as well as North Macedonian Prime Minister Talat Xhaferi, Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers President Borjana Kristo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and representatives of different international institutions and organizations.
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