Video message by Prime Minister Edi Rama following meeting with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels:

Good morning from Brussels!

Last evening, we had a meeting with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a lady who has an admirable career and an impressive competence and knowledge of the European affairs, who very generously provided us the opportunity to hold an open and two hour-plus conversation.

The primary goal of this Brussels visit, as I have already written a day ago, is to address the post-earthquake situation, with main focus on the upcoming Donors’ Conference called by the President of the Commission herself and due on February 17 in Brussels. It was a conversation, with its first part being mainly informative with us providing information on all aspects of our work and efforts to deal with the post-earthquake situation, from treatment of the quake-affected families to the damage assessment report, which is being finalized in collaboration with the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank experts, to the national rebuilding masterplan and the local development plans on all affected areas, the schedule of this process and, of course, our financing plan to support this mass rebuilding operation, which exceeds our capacities if we were to consider the extent of damage.

I am very pleased to share with you a very positive sense and feeling I am experiencing taking note of the special attention and importance the Commission’s President has attached – actually since the day one after the earthquake and on – to all aspects of this issue and the last night’s meeting was a confirmation of her full readiness and concrete commitment to support the rebuilding operation.

The seriousness with which the Donors’ Conference is being organized is overwhelming and although we know very well that the potential amount we can raise at that Conference will by no means meet all the needs, President Von der Leyen’s plan extends beyond the Conference, meaning that we will continue work together after the Conference. We also shared with her our ides on the rebuilding funding through an additional scenario after the Conference.

Of course, we focused then on her favourite topic, the acceleration of the process of opening the membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. Allow me not to elaborate on this second topic, but it is for sure that the President of the Commission has a concrete strategy on the objective to open the accession negotiations and, in the meantime, it is equally for sure, however, that the fate of the decision on opening the negotiations will hinge on the progress of the European Union’s internal debate over itself and the perspective of the entire enlargement process.

However, the strategy on the negotiations is not only part of a much broader strategy of the new Commission and President Von der Leyen to foster regional cooperation and development in the Western Balkans.

The European Commission President is really enthusiastic about the effort to take the Berlin Process forward through the agreements that would gradually and step by step lead to relaxation of all movements in our region and finalization of the regional Schengen, while the EU will play its supporting role in this respect, both politically and financially, as the President of the European Council Charles Michel himself affirmed in Tirana.

The day will go on with a visit to NATO Headquarters in my capacity as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and we will return back to Tirana in late afternoon today to go on with all our efforts.

Hugs to everyone from Brussels and see you tomorrow!