Prime Minister Edi Rama: Thank you for taking the trouble to accompany us on this truly important trio and as I always want to reward you for your hard work and dedication, as well as your questions, cutting it short I would just like to note that, as you already know it, this was the first visit to the German Federal Chancellery since election of a new Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and this was our second meeting with Chancellor Scholz after our first meeting, when he was still serving as Mayor of Hamburg and I was already a Prime Minister.
I can acknowledge that the meeting was extremely positive and you already listened to the Chancellor’s very positive notes during the press conference a day ago, when he lauded Albania for its role in the international arena, Albania’s progress in the framework of the EU integration process, as well as the bilateral relations. We had a long consultation that lasted three times longer than scheduled before the press conference and we then held a working dinner, where we went over all the topics of common interest. I would take your questions now.
Answering to the question whether Germany supports Albania’s decoupling from North Macedonia and push for solo EU membership, the government head said: I didn’t ask for this. I just informed the Chancellor that we are pursuing an approach, which won’t change until the June meeting of the European Council. However, should Albania’s bid will be blocked again because of Bulgaria and based on the public’s broad support for the option of decoupling from North Macedonia, as the findings of the National Consultation process clearly show – as I informed the Chancellor about the National Consultation too – we will change our approach and resort to another language regarding Albania and the need for Albania to be decoupled from North Macedonia. The Chancellor noted it also at the conference – if I am not mistaken – but he noted during both rounds of talks that he was optimistic about changing Bulgaria’s position. I’m not that optimistic, but I wish I was wrong and the Chancellor was right.
Asked whether he and the German Chancellor discussed the Open Balkans initiative during their bilateral talks and whether Scholz voiced support for the initiative, the Prime Minister answered: If he was not to support the Open Balkans initiative, Chancellor Scholz would have clearly stated it both at our bilateral meeting or publicly. So, I wouldn’t absolutely say that he doesn’t support the initiative.
-Mr. Prime Minister, Sali Berisha led Albania to NATO membership and visa liberalization with the EU. Would you deliver on the country’s bid to open the accession negotiations with the EU during your third term in office?
PM Edi Rama: Let’s not sound pretty ludicrous. These are things one person cannot grant Albania alone. This is nonsense. Such events depend on the will of other countries, because if it was for the negotiations, if opening the accession talks were to depend on me or on Albania, this would have already happened three or four years ago. So, we deserved opening the accession negotiations a long time ago. The fact that accession negotiations have yet to be formally launched, but they are open declaratively only, but we have yet to sit at the table of accession talks, and it has nothing to do with me or us, but it has to do with them.
So when you tell me who integrated Albania into NATO, I really can’t help but burst out laughing, as Konica used to say. Albania was brought into NATO by the USA.
The war in Ukraine was also on focus of the press conference and answering to the question whether the Prime Minister was concerned over Serbia’s armament build-up and whether he has planned a visit to Kyiv, PM Rama said: I am not concerned about the said armament, because I see no reason to be concerned now. Instead, I believe it is crucially important for us all to cherish the winds of peace and regional cooperation, and it is definitely important to keep Western Balkans as united as possible also through the help and support of our strategic allies, with Germany having a specific role to play and I can’t see how a defensive anti-missile system could concern us.
As far as Serbia is concerned, Serbia has made two extraordinary encouraging steps with its two votes in the UN and the fact that the Balkans are united in its stance towards Russia is really significant. As for the visit to Kyiv, I think there are others who deserve to become protagonists and should my turn ever come I would definitely be pleased to visit Kyiv, but I think it is not the right time to assume the protagonist role before others.
