Prime Minister Edi Rama today held a series of meetings with European leaders attending the third meeting of the European Political Community, which took place in Granada, Spain.

Earlier today, the Premier Edi Rama co-chaired with the Prime Minister of Sweden the round-table discussion “Digital Transformation and the Artificial Intelligence” in terms of the governments’ approaches. He also attended another round-table discussion along with the European Commission President, the Prime Minister of Italy, the British Prime Minister, the Dutch Prime Minister and the French President on ways to coordinate forces and jointly contribute to the efforts aimed at tackling illegal immigration.

Commenting on the meetings, PM Rama said in a televised interview as follows:

– Mr. Prime Minister, you attended an expanded meeting with some of the top EU leaders. What did you discuss?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: The EPC meetings take place in various discussion formats. Together with the Prime Minister of Sweden we chaired the discussion on digitization and the artificial intelligence in terms of governments’ approach to it. We also had a meeting with the EC President and the leaders of France, Italy, the Netherlands and Great Britain to discuss ways to coordinate forces and jointly contribute towards tackling illegal immigration.

And of course, on one hand we also discussed our previous experiences in the 2000s, which were successful experiences in terms of coordination between the governments of Italy and Albania and the later experiences with France, the Great Britain, and so on. In this aspect, this community continues to work as a community of equals, where discussions stake place, different groups are established in order to advance parts of the common European agenda.

 

–Mr. Prime Minister. The President of the European Council (Charles) Michel has voiced optimism about what is expected to happen in the December Summit. What would you communicate to Albanian citizens? What is expected to happen as far as our European path is concerned in December? You actually had other meetings too.

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I don’t actually give priority to dates, to December, November or June. What matters most is that Albania has its path towards accession negotiations opened and is intensely working with the Brussels on daily basis. So we are on the right path. The EU accession is a two-pronged issue. On one hand we it is a set of homework we need to do by ourselves and, on the other hand, it is the European Commission’s decision-making, which is sovereign and is related to political aspects. So there is no need for us to focus on dates, but deal with concrete work instead to make Albania a country that meets the EU standards as soon as possible, the standards of a EU member state, of course, because in addition to the common standards, EU has different standards at different levels originating from history. The affirmation will then take its time and it is less important to us, because what matters most is that we do our job and deliver.

– Prime Minister, you have recently been a strong voice since the Sept. 24 conflict in Kosovo north regarding the reciprocity measures and sanctions against Serbia, as it has already been the case with Kosovo earlier. Did you discuss them with the European partners?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: No! We have not had a specific discussion about that, but discussions will go on as we will have the working dinner ahead. I will certainly continue to stand my course, I stick to all my convictions, which are not spontaneous opinions, they are not triggered by emotions or winds that blow from one direction or another and from fires that are kindled or extinguished, but they are firmly held convictions that stem from a strategic vision about Albania’s role in the region and Albania’s relations with Kosovo, about which Albania has done more than ever before what it should do. However, Albania is not to sing in tune and chime in with everything that is said based on the analysis, which is rightfully done in Pristina. Albania takes a stand to the benefit of Kosovo and the final recognition of Kosovo with its own voice. On the other hand, I have also seen how all the sewers of pseudo patriotism always burst in these cases which, as the saying goes, ‘is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Thank you!