PM Rama urged ambassadors to back Albania’s bid to open accession negotiations with the European Union.

In his speech, the government head welcomed the foreign diplomats at the traditional meeting ahead of the year-end holidays.

“I avail myself of the occasion also to welcome and wish successful and fruitful work to the Apostolic Consul, to ambassadors of the Czech Republic, Japan, France and Spain, who attend this meeting for first time and are accredited to our country, probably having hesitations and doubts whether their career and mission would be successful. Judging from the experience of your predecessors and to all of those who come to Albania with hesitation and suspicions, soon finds out when the day to leave comes, you will miss Albania. Because Albania is first of all a place that never lets you bother, it is a country full of surprises, joyful moments and a country towards a ultimate rebirth as an integral part of the united European family,” Rama said.

Referring to a prominent French politologist and ex- minister in the 1970s wrote a prophetic book about China’s revival.

“At that time, many saw the book as an alarm to the universe, yet today everybody goes hand in hand with this great country, in a bid to carve out a completely new process, a multi-polar political and economic reality so imperative for our time. The French political scientist predicted the wakening of the nations from the centuries old lethargic, sometimes driven by ruthless historical circumstances or long-lasting regimes in fundamental contradictions to the indent and vocation of these nations,” Rama said.

“Of course, Albania is microscopic compared to China, but the history of the Albanian nation, just like the history of the nations the French political scientist implied, is similar vocation and identity story,” he said.

The government head noted that “today’s Albania has made a tremendous progress when compared to its past and tomorrow’s Albania will definitely be better than that of today.”

“2017 was an interesting electoral year with a calm electoral process away from the polarization and traditional conflicts that have accompanied the previous election processes,” Rama stated.

The government head, also ruling Socialist Party leader, stated that political dialogue and progress in implementation of the judicial reform are and imperative as Albania expects to open the accession negotiations with the European Union.

Rama praised the role of ambassadors as the ruling parties and the opposition reached an political agreement that ended a three-month standoff earlier this year, which had paralyzed the country’s parliamentary and social life and had blocked progress on reforms.

“Political conflict had hit the country’s parliamentary and social life but an agreement was reached through a seemingly impossible dialogue that was achieved thanks to your role,” he said.

Rama went on saying that this year had also shown how bumpy is the road towards implementation of the justice system reform, stating that implementation of the crucial reform is irreversible.