Prime Minister Edi Rama, on an official visit to Berlin, Germany, was hosted by the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, at the Federal Chancellery on Tuesday, at a head-to-head meeting focusing on Albania’s role as host country of the next Berlin Process Summit, a platform for high-level cooperation between high official representatives of the Western Balkan countries.

In a joint communiqué, participants in the Berlin Process Summit last November agreed to hold the next Berlin Process summit 2023 in Albania.

After their meeting, Prime Minister Rama and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, held a joint press conference:

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Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz: Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to welcome the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama to Berlin again today!

Western Balkans and its EU integration are very important to me. I have frequently drawn attention to the fact that this is one of the most important things Europe has to deliver now, because the Western Balkans are part of Europe and the European family. This is the reason why I’m happy that Rama agreed to hold the Berlin Process Summit on October 16 for the first time after 10 years in a Western Balkans country.

Since 2014, The Berlin Process has shown the tremendous potential that can be created through the all-inclusive cooperation among the Western Balkan Six.

The participants in the previous Berlin Process in November signed three important agreements on establishing a common regional market. Albania spearheaded it by setting an excellent example and in January, it was the first country to ratify the three agreements signed last November.

This represents a good model for the region and a significant step forward, because a common regional market would respectively guarantee the four freedoms, namely the free movement of people, goods, services and capital.

I would like to reiterate that the speedy EU integration of the six Western Balkan states is of strategic importance to my German government. We want to welcome them as soon as possible as member states.

That’s why progress in Albania’s European Union membership negotiations is a very good signal.

The essence of the negotiations is the strengthening of the rule of law. Therefore, it is good news that members of criminal rings, as well as high-level officials in the region have been already indicted and convicted.

Free and independent media are an essential part of our European democracies and that is why it matters. Of course, we need a transparent economic environment with legal certainties.

The Russian aggression on Ukraine, a sovereign state in Europe, painfully reminds us of the fact that all the European achievements over the past decades, life in the space of freedom and democracy should not be taken for granted. We must commit ourselves to their protection and strengthening.

Therefore, I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to thank Albania. Albania assumes great responsibility on an international level with its constructive role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, as a NATO member and as an OSCE member and in many international forums. Albania is fully aligned with decisions of the common foreign security policy of the European Union.

Germany-Albania bilateral ties are excellent. The Federal Republic of Germany has been cooperating closely with Albania for 35 years now. In these difficult times, we are happy to count on Albania as a reliable partner in the international arena.

Let me finally clearly state that my government is committed that the Federal Republic of Germany remains a close and reliable partner of Albania on its path to the European Union.

Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Edi Rama: I would like to wholeheartedly thank the Chancellor for the hospitality and his personal commitment and the readiness of the Federal government to continue support for Albania and the Western Balkans during this crucial period for us and Europe itself. I and all leaders in the region are grateful for the fact that the next Berlin Process Summit will be held in the region for the first time this year, and I am personally happy that Tirana has been chosen as the country to host this Summit.

The Summit will be a gathering which will continue on the open path of further deepening this process, will certainly take stock of the outcomes and accomplishments of this process and will definitely set the targets to be met in the future, as well as will further strengthen the regional cooperation. Regional cooperation is the only way we have embarked on and the only way to move forward and we are lucky enough to have Germany as an attentive and direct partner on this path.

With the Chancellor, we also discussed some aspects of the economic, financial and social life in the Western Balkans, some important elements of the convergence of living standards with the European Union, as well as the necessity for the European Union to take a step further in order to strengthen mechanisms that will make this convergence possible.

On the other hander, we also discussed the European integration process and its challenges; it is a process based on the individual merit of each country and a lot more work needs to be done in this respect and we also discussed ways how Germany can help us to mobilize more human resources, in terms of support for the entire machinery we need to build in order to draft the laws and by-laws so that we can fully align the national legislation with that of the European Union.

We certainly discussed the region. Albania, our government, I personally strongly support the peace and normalization plan between Kosovo and Serbia. In our view, it is an absolutely very substantive and at the same time very realistic plan, which would lead to the necessary and long-awaited normalization and which both sides must consider not only with the utmost seriousness, but also with all the necessary courage.

Thank you once again and I am very glad that together with the Chancellor we can also announce the date proposed by the German side and absolutely accepted by us, which is October 16 this year, on which we will work together and the Chancellor’s office will make sure that an important business forum of regional and German businesses takes place on the margins of the Summit.

Finally, we are confident that during the Tirana Summit we will have the opportunity to announce the final agreement on opening the European college of Bruges for the entire region in Albania.