Joint press conference of the President of the European Council Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the Prime Minister Edi Rama following the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tirana

 

European Council President Charles Michel: Welcome to the press conference following the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tirana. The Summit’s declaration has been adopted and will be published shortly. We will have a short Q&A session.

I would like to start by thanking very warmly the Prime Minister Edi Rama for his magnificent hospitality! This Summit is a historic one. It is truly a Summit that is making history, writing the history as it is the first time that this Summit takes place in the Western Balkans region. It is the first time that leaders of the European Union and the Western Balkan leaders gather around the same table as a follow-up  of the Summit in Brdo, Slovenia, as well as the meeting that took place a couple of months ago, namely the Summit that took place in July in Brussels.

Today we adopted a declaration, which is really an important statement, because it entails concrete commitments and marks additional steps on the path to the EU integration. I would like to reiterate that I am pleased and I feel somehow emotional to solemnly affirm it from this rostrum, in Tirana: I deeply believe that the future of our children will be much safer and more prosperous with the Western Balkans within the European Union. And I think that the integration process is the key and both of us need to deliver on a number of things in order for this process to happen, delivering on rule of law and justice reforms and the fight against corruption.

On the side of the European Union, we need to commit further to strengthening its capacities to consolidate the common market. The agreement on the reduced roaming charges that was signed today represents another step forward after the Brdo Summit, which gave us this idea, and this would allow as of next year 2023 and certainly by 2027 for the decrease of the roaming charges and eventually practically lift all the roaming costs, which would be very beneficial for the companies and the Western Balkans citizens and such a move would also favour tourism industry in the Western Balkan region.

Further commitments and progress are being made in the efforts to cope with the negative consequences of the Russian aggression on Ukraine and this war has grave consequences on the energy sector, economic development, and food safety and supplies. And that is why it’s so important to take some tangible decisions and to mobilise an important financial package to support and to assist the Western Balkans in countering the negative effects of this war launched by Russia against Ukraine.

And finally, I would like to say a few words about migration. We know that migration is always a sensitive and difficult topic, a difficult challenge. And we know that in recent weeks and recent months we have faced again difficulties and an increase in numbers. 

That’s why this concrete and operational cooperation with the Western Balkans is fundamental for all of us. 

And I would like to express my gratitude because in recent days we were able to make some progress by aligning the visa policy, which is a concrete step in the right direction. 

We know that some additional decisions will be needed to be made in the coming days and weeks, but we are optimistic and confident that we will be able to make some progress and manage together this situation. As you can see, the summit was really a key summit.

Once again I would like to thank Edi Rama, as well as our Western Balkans partners, because today’s gathering showed that there is a lot of respect and trust. Of course we are aware of the fact that we are being through difficult and shocking times, including climate change, numerical changes, the COVID-19 health crisis that hit everyone, as well as the ongoing war that is totally changing and shifting the geopolitical landscape, So we need to stand for and fight for freedom and tomorrow’s world, we need to fight for our values. Do we want freedom? Do we want the democratic principles that safeguard and defend the lives of every human being or do we want another model? The choice is in our hands. We are looking forward to our shared future and a future of shared values.

Thank you!

Prime Minister Edi Rama: In respect of the foreign journalists here I am going to speak in English and therefore make it easier, also because it is very difficult to properly translate me from Albanian into English.

I would like to wholeheartedly thank again Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, and a dear friend, I should say.

But first and foremost, really a loyal and committed friend of the region and I can put it this way because I have seen him fighting for the region. And I would like to include Ursula, the President of the European Commission in this as another renowned and fervent fighter for this region.

And as I already said at our plenary session, we have never had or at least I don’t recall any other President of the Council or the European Commission, who have been like Charles and Ursula, so resolute to advocate for the region, to push for the region and make sure that the process, which we know it is very difficult in itself, doesn’t die in agony.

This being said, I want to underline the very historical dimension of this Summit.

It is the first time ever that the European Union crosses outside the borders of the EU to hold a Summit and this happens in the Western Balkans and, namely, in Albania.

I see it primarily as an amazing sign of awareness that nowadays the European Union needs the Western Balkans as much as the Western Balkans need the European Union.

And, on the other hand, I also see it as an appreciation for our country, for its role as a resilient and committed factor of peace, stability and cooperation in our region. I would also like to believe because it is the moment to send to all the people in the region, but to the Albanian people in particular, the message that the European Union is here for us; it is here for you, because it is a well-known fact that the oracle of Brussels, the EU barometer has more than once has stressed that Albanians are the most pro-EU nation in Europe. And this is not because we are naive, but because we come from a very, very real hell – not from the French hell, which is actually a paradise, but French people call it a hell – we come from real hell of isolation and total impossibility to connect with Europe.

And we had our difficult moments, we had our frustrations, we had our hardship, but we never ever gave up on this faith; the faith on the European Union.

Of course, this is a summit and this is just a gathering and a step forward, but it is not the end of our path towards the European Union. However, this is also a milestone, which shows not only through the presence, but also by certain facts that the President of the Commission will surely detail them, but I want to tell students today, tell to the youngsters in our country that we come out with great news from this summit that not only our universities will be able to engage with the Erasmus +, but they will also be included in the alliance of the higher education in Europe and at a certain moment, once all the required procedures certainly complete, our students and our kids will be able to attend from here every European university in a digital way and our universities can start establish alliances and grow together with the European universities. This is something that was possible only when you become a member of the European Union.

As to the green lanes with Croatia, Italy and Greece, this is also something new and great for the transportation sector and the trade exchanges.

We have also discussed and we have been pledged support of the President of the Council and the President of the Commission in principle and, as far as I understood also the full support of the EU leaders, to work on launching Bruges campus of the College of Europe in Tirana.

It is a leading university that has had its first campus in Poland in 1992 to support the former communist countries in East Europe to join the European Union and it is now the time to settle this campus in Tirana too and this is fantastic news.

Equally important is the agreement on the reduced roaming charges. So our citizens will be able soon to use roaming service at much lower charges and they will be granted access the network of the European citizens.

And to conclude, with the most important one, energy sector. We have already received EU budget support through the European Commission in the amount of 85 million euros for the next year, but another package of projects will be made available and we have already prepared our projects.

The entire region will be involved in this drive to build more energy sources and steadily reduce Russian influence. I could talk much longer, but I will conclude here.

I also told the European friends that we are hosts and I told them that in our “kanun”, the first written code of the Albanians, the house of the Albanian belongs to God and the guest. But, guess what. Today we welcomed guests, who are considered Gods in Albania, the Gods of the European Union and I told them that the code is very clear; you have to be prepared to give your life for your guest. So, we are still ready, as they are still here. God forbid something happen, but we are ready to give our lives. I would never take advantage of this moment to complain or to criticize or say things I can easier say while in Brussels.

And the very last, I will remember one thing from this Summit. A beautiful moment when we were posing for the family photo and I was hearing many of them saying: “the sun. The sun. Beautiful sun.”

So, after 10 days of Brussels weather, we succeeded in bringing the sun this morning for them. What can we do more? Our life is at your disposal. Madame President, please. He has actually to announce that you should take the floor, as the Brussels rules have it.

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen: Thank you very much indeed Edi. It is a fantastic experience to be here, and you are outstanding hosts. We will, I think, never forget this family photo and this fantastic performance – tradition, classics and the future, the modern part. It was outstanding; it was amazing to see that. And thank you very much for your words.

Let me reassure you that our support for the region really comes from the bottom of our hearts. Because we are deeply convinced that we belong together. You have said that you would, as host, be willing to give your life for us. We do not want your life; we want to live our lives together. 

And thank you very much for this outstanding Summit. 

It was a Summit where there was a very clear message of unity. We want to tackle the issues, the problems, the challenges we have together. It was a Summit of partnership with very deep, very good, frank and trustful discussion. And of course, we have touched upon many topics. I want to highlight a few. A big topic is of course that we want to tackle together the difficulties, the knock-on effects of this atrocious war that Russia has unleashed. And one of the main topics is of course energy. 

For us is important that, with our friends from the Western Balkans, we address this energy crisis together to mirror whatever we do in the European Union also in the Western Balkans. For example, the fact that households and businesses struggle as much in the Western Balkans as in the European Union. For us is important to give similar solutions. Therefore, we announced this EUR-1-billion of energy support, which is split in two parts: It is EUR 500 million of direct budget support, which gives the opportunity to support in a targeted manner the vulnerable households and the vulnerable businesses. And the second half, EUR 500 million, in infrastructure to make sure that we have the investment already in the energy of the future. The energy of the future is of course renewable energy. Renewable energy is cheaper; it is affordable; it is cleaner; it is better for our planet; and it is home-grown. It provides good jobs here at home, so it gives independence and security of supply. The investment of these EUR 500 million will of course go in renewable, in interconnections, so infrastructure, but also energy efficiency. 

Yesterday, we have approved six different projects. It goes from large-scale photovoltaic plants to solar district heating; from wind farms to the rehabilitation of hydropower plants, just to give you an idea about that. Of course, a strong emphasis is also on energy efficiency, so to improve, through additional investment, the situation of hospitals, schools and universities from an energy efficiency standpoint, so that the situation can improve. Beyond energy, of course this is a part, is the bigger frame of the Economic and Investment Plan – you are all familiar with it –, with investments in transport, in water, in wastewater management, in digital smart labs, just to name a few. Here too, we have just adopted yesterday 40 flagship projects worth EUR 1.8 billion.

The good news is also that this Economic and Investment Plan is on track. My second point looks at the situation that we have overall in the relationship between the Western Balkans and the European Union. And let me reassure you that we are wholeheartedly supporting the enlargement process and the regional integration.

This year has seen a lot of progress. We have had indeed the first Intergovernmental Conference with Albania and North Macedonia. There is finally new movement and momentum in the whole process. It was a historic step to open the accession negotiations. And now, the screening has started and the momentum is there.

We, as the Commission, recommend granting candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the understanding that a number of steps are taken. We are now very much looking forward to a decision to be taken by the Council. Besides this progress that we see, there is of course the important topic of the economic integration, so the common regional market. 

I really want to commend you for the progress that you have done in the common regional market in the last months. It is very good for the region that you have signed agreements that underline the importance of the freedom to travel, to study or to work. It makes trade easier in the region, it creates new jobs. So all these are topics that are moving forward and that highlighted the importance of this Summit to give them speed and acceleration. 

A third point that we discussed today was migration. Migration has long been a shared challenge. We have a strong, common interest in cooperating closely on all aspects. It is a question of managing migration together. Therefore, the Commission has yesterday presented an Action Plan on the Western Balkans to strengthen our mutual cooperation. On that, it is important for me to convey again the message: You can count on our support to deal with border management and to deal with the migration and asylum process. We are in this together and we have to manage that topic together. It is crucial for us to move forward here. At the same time, we expect all our Western Balkan partners to align swiftly with our visa policy. This is also crucial to maintain the visa-free regimes between us. Because it is a question of mutual respect of the rules.  

And indeed, finally, I also want to emphasise the topics concerning youth. I know, Edi, how important youth is important to you. You were the one who first mentioned to me that you wanted more opportunities for young people to be created in the region. And you were the one who asked us to think about the possibility to open the European Universities initiative to all Western Balkan countries. Today, we can say that we delivered. Thank you very much for starting this process. The Western Balkan universities will be able to join the European Universities network. This means that it enables students from the Western Balkans not only to study physically in the different universities of Europe but also to have full access to the European universities remotely here in Tirana. And in that is your vision to have one day the College of Europe here, like in Bruges, like in Poland. And indeed, you have full support also from my side. This is something on which I hope that in due time, at one of the next summits, we will be able to say that we delivered. 

Thank you very much! 

* * *

-The first question goes to both presidents. I don’t know whether you have managed to understand an element that characterizes people in this part of the Western Balkans, that is that they want to hear things clearly and loudly stated. Why did you pick Tirana? Was it the reason because Albanians are the most pro-European and perhaps because Serbs are more pro-Russia, for instance? And a question for Prime Minister Rama: There is a second package for the entire Western Balkans. Do we have any figures for Albania? How much Albania will benefit and what types of projects do you aim to support through the assistance from the European Union?

President of the Council of Europe Charles Michel: Why Tirana? A few weeks ago it was proposed to the Prime Minister to host this meeting as it was to hold this Summit by the end of the year and we thought that Tirana and Albania was the appropriate location for this gathering. And I would like again to thank you dear Prime Minister, dear Edi, and your team, because it was really impressive how it was possible to organize such a huge gathering in a limited period of time here in Albania. It is not easy and we have experienced it many times in Brussels, as hosting such a Summit requires a lot of effort, a lot of logistical issues that need to be solved. And I think this was a signal not only to Albania, but it is a powerful signal to the people across the Western Balkans, because the goal is not just to gather and talk with the leaders, but also to send a powerful signal to the people in Western Balkans. We are absolutely convinced that our future is together.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen: Yes, perhaps the part that you asked, I would say that EUR 85 million is a direct budget support within this EUR 500 million package.

There are quite a few different projects that are now being funded under the other EUR 500 million package. There are I think six projects that we approved yesterday worth EUR 120 million. I know that some of the projects for example include a large photovoltaic park here in Albania, but I don’t know all the projects from the top of my head, so perhaps we can go into more details with our staff.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: Now, the Balkan way to answer to the question why Tirana would be”: “Because we are the best. We are the oldest and of course we are the most loyal ones.”

But I don’t think that and I don’t say that. I simply said that for them is the best place to be, because Albania is the most pro-European country in Europe, according to the findings of the EU barometer and not according to my opinion. But I would add that Albania was picked because Tirana is so beautiful and if Mark Rutte told Dutch press that this is the most emotional adventure of this year for the European Union, imagine now going softer, how beautiful it is.

Anyhow, when it comes to the support package, I would say that in addition to what Ursula already explained, you know that there is another package that is based on the projects. And there are several projects we are ready to apply for. One is the pipeline project linking the cities of Fier and Vlora to make sure the connection of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline and Vlora thermal power plant, which will be transformed into a liquefied-fired gas plant.

Everyone acknowledged at today’s plenary session that the Balkans have a big potential to become a real hub to help Central Europe reduce Russian dependence. Of course, Albania is part of the Western Balkans and Albania certainly has an important potential and an important role to play in this respect and I am very happy that there is a common understanding on our side and on the European Union side.

So, we work together and, as you now, the European Union doesn’t give money away and tells you: “Ok, take the money, because you are the oldest, you are the best and we love you.” The money is there, but we have to design the right projects, fulfil all the criteria and only then you can receive the due funding. However, I am confident we will be able to do that, just like we have been able to do that in the past and we will do it again now and I don’t mean Albania only, but the whole Western Balkans, because every funding will go through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). Thank you!

-Not that the summit is over and Brussels came to Tirana and enjoyed our dance performances and sun, my question is when Tirana will come to Brussels? When Albania and the region become members of the European Union, because it looks like that Russia should escalate its bombings somewhere so that you can increase your attention to the region?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I can answer first. I would say that it is unfair to say this, because the progress that has been made, especially in the last period, and by no doubt also because of the war as an accelerator, is actually immense. It was not 10 years ago, but a few years ago when we were in Brussels, where we had all this “fight”, we had this press conference where Charles even failed to show up. And it is totally a different thing.

Let me conclude my part by saying this: When it comes to the membership, we should deliver and do our homework. This is what I have told them, what I always say and I haven’t changed my mind. When I used to engage in debates with some EU friends and leaders previously about why we needed the accession talks be opened, I used to tell them that we need to have the tools of the accession process in order to make ourselves stronger, make our institutions stronger, to build our systems and deliver and meet the EU standards in terms of the functioning state. It is not about membership, but just the start of the process. I have the very same opinion today. We need to do the homework.

So, it is not about hurrying, but at the same time, what has happened is historic, because the European Union, in the meantime, is creating spaces and creating mechanisms of support that are taking us closer to the bloc, without waiting to be its members. In the old fashion – and I don’t mean 30 years ago, but a few years ago – we would have never been granted the opportunity to access the alliance of the European universities. One should be a member stated to do so. We are getting there now. Why? Because there is a common understanding that while we do the homework, we need to be supported and to be gradually closer to get this Europe together. The agreement on reduced roaming charges would have never happened, if it was not for this acceleration. The green lanes and everything else happening now are totally new things. It is a new mindset. And that’s why I said thanks to both presidents, who are here now and I am honoured to be here with them, things are changing. If you remember when Ursula was voted in to take over as the President of the European Commission, she said: “It is the birth of a geopolitical Commission.” And it is precisely this happening. For the very first time, the Balkans are being seen and treated like a geopolitical and strategic region for the European Union. Now, when we will become members? One thing is sure. We Albanians and Albania will be loyal to the European Union, even if the European Union disappears. We will continue to fight to become members, even if we become the only, single member. It doesn’t matter at all. We just need to make progress. This is the most important thing.

President of the European Council Charles Michel: I would like to add that the EU doesn’t intend to disappear. First of all let me state that I didn’t wait for this Summit to come to Tirana. I have had multiple exchanges with the Prime Minister not only in the last three years when I have been serving as the President of the European Council, but even before when I used to serve as the Prime Minister of Belgium and before the Russian aggression on Ukraine was to take place.

These exchanges, dialogue and understanding with Mr. Rama, as well as with other leaders in the region, have shown how important it is to ramp up the number of processes. Many of us had already decided that we really need to speed up the accession process of the Western Balkans and the war in Ukraine has proven this even more. However, facts are facts.

A few months ago, we were in Brussels together and you remember the press conference of the Prime Minister Edi Rama after the Brussels Summit. At that time, we in Brussels were all frustrated, we experienced fatigue, a feeling that we were letting the Balkans down, but thanks to the meeting in Brussels, and thanks to the political commitment and the political will, we managed to unblock what used to be previously blocked in an unjustified manner and this is how we have managed to renew and launch this process and the ambition. The list we have made is not a declaration of intentions, but a list of concrete and tangible projects, which are the result of the exchanges we have had with Edi Rama even before the war in Ukraine. And I remember that Edi Rama told me that we shouldn’t wait until the end of the integration process to see progress and concrete results for the citizens, so that the citizens in our countries understand how beneficial it is to go for the EU enlargement without waiting for the process to complete. And I hope that the process is as fast as possible. There will be an effective integration of the Western Balkans. This would certainly mean courage, hard work and reforms. Let me be very clear, we mentioned the energy package and the universities for the fact that the Albanian young people will have increased connections with the European universities.

The fact that the College of Bruges will open its subsidiary here in Tirana, these are all concrete projects with a concrete impact on the lives of the citizens and companies. 

These are not general words, but we are happy to be here in Tirana and we will come back very often and I hope that Edi Rama and the other Western Balkan leaders will come to Brussels to work together very often.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen: I would like to say few words, Edi. It is true that we are realizing these decisive times because of the brutal war that Russia unleashed against a peaceful neighbour, a neighbour that only wanted to determine how they see their future. We see a very decisive time and it is like a curtain that is being raised and we now look at the essence of things and the essence of our Union is that we are the Union of values. Of course, we are also a Union of prosperity, but fundamentally we are the Union of values. And, yes I have the deep impression that in these decisive months, which are also transformative times for the European Union, we in the Western Balkans and the European Union feel this transformative movement forward, but we take the same direction of travel. You can see it in the economic integration, the way we address, for instance, the energy crisis, that together we are aligning right now in investing massively in renewable, with the view that in the future time, hopefully in a very near future, we will be in one Union and use the same renewable infrastructure that we are building now.

Another even more telling example is indeed the universities of Europe, because nothing is more convincing than young people who are grow up in the same education environment to build the next-generation European Union, and of course sharing all the values and working for being one Union. And here I think indeed that this atrocious war has actually brought more speed, more acceleration and more momentum.

– It is a question for President Michel. Do you think there is enough support to grant the candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina next week? We heard from the Commission President that this has been proposed by the Commission, but you may provide us with an update on that?

President of the European Council Charles Michel: Of course, I don’t want to anticipate. However, there is a proposal on the table, which is very good and, on the other hand, the Czech Presidency is working very hard in order to prepare the next ministerial meeting on the question and we are supporting behind the scene all the effort that is needed, but I don’t intend to anticipate. I want to avoid making the odds more complex and more difficult. I hope that a good signal will be given in the following days, but let’s see what will be the decision taken at the ministerial level.

-Mr. Rama, is there a response to the apparent attack on the opposition leader just outside here?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: My clear response is already out around an hour ago and I have nothing to add on that. It is already on the official website of the government.

-I would like to talk about the accession and about Kosovo. Five EU member states have to recognize Kosovo yet and this morning, the President of Kosovo said that she would like to claim the EU accession bid. Is that possible and what future do you see for Kosovo?

President of the European Council Charles Michel: Two points; I can confirm this information was announced by the office of the President of Kosovo and has already gone to the public. And then it will be up to the European Council that will have a true look at that claim and see what decision will be made on this initiative. Thank you!