Joint press conference of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell:
Prime Minister Edi Rama today received the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell. PM Rama and the EU High Representative Josep Borrell appeared at a joint press conference following bilateral meeting:
PM Edi Rama: Hello everyone! Thank you for your presence! It is our pleasure to welcome in Tirana today the EU High Representative and the Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, with whom we obviously discussed the grave concern triggered by Russia’s aggression on Ukraine and all war consequences that have already spilled over into Europe and into a wider region, initially in the form of soaring prices.
We also discussed Albania’s role in the UN Security Council and Albania’s position which is aligned with the European Union regarding Russian aggression on Ukraine. However, certainly part of the discussion was also Albania’s further progress in the EU integration process, specifically the process on formal opening of the accession talks, something I believe Mr. Borrell will talk about it himself.
As far as I am concerned, I have reiterated time after time what is universally known that Albania has chosen this as its natural position and not because someone in Brussels, Berlin, Paris or even in Washington has asked us to do so.
We are proud members of a great Alliance, namely the NATO, and we are also proud Europeans for being Europeans and Albanians, who look towards Europe and see Europe as the door to our future. It is for all this range of reasons we have taken this position today and it is a standing that is imposed by our children.
The war in Ukraine is the demarcation line between the world we know very well, notably the world lacking and disrespecting the human rights, the world of isolation and pain imposed by an authoritarian regime and as distinct to the world of nowadays that of course can be better than it is today, but it is incomparably better than the world we used to have. The fate of today’s world is being played in Ukraine and our position is not just a principled position relative to a country or another nation, but it is a vital and existential position in relation to our own children and this homeland we inherit from our ancestors and where we are placed and live only temporarily.
We discussed opening of the accession talks. I stick to what I have previously said, for some times now, that this is an issue up to the European Commission and it is up to the European Union only. The European Commission has repeatedly stated that Albania has to sit around the table to start the accession talks.
However, the European Council hasn’t managed to do so due to a recent veto placed by Bulgaria on North Macedonia. This is not something we can handle and we are ready to immediately sit around the table of accession negotiations as soon as the green light is given, but we are not going to lose even a single second of our sleep waiting for this to happen, because we will continue to work and deliver with same commitment as if the accession talks were open already.
So it is up to the European Council, the sooner they do it the more honourable it would be for them as time is going by and they are not delivering on their promises. However, we understand this is no longer a matter of common will within the European Council, because all the Member States seem to be quite ready to formally launch the accession negotiations; but it is now a matter of an impasse between two other countries, namely North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
The French Presidency can do this in June and it would be great if it does so, but even if it doesn’t we will be here waiting for it to happen, but we are not going to wait for a second when it comes to the work we have to do and we will do and that brings us steadily closer to the European standards here in Albania.
Last, with the EU High Representative we discussed the indispensability for the European Union to have a plan to support the countries, be it to address the energy crisis, which – as we already acknowledged at our meeting – is the worst part of the crisis, as well as when it comes to addressing other war consequences, they do not leave out the Western Balkans, as they already did when mapping the first vaccine distribution scheme.
On the other hand, they should possibly speed up the Eight Corridor, a project already tabled as part of the investment economic plan, but which becomes more strategically important now in terms of being a security corridor.
These were more or less the topics we discussed.
I would like to thank our friend, because indeed he is another friend of our country and of this region since due to his office he is closer to the region and he is an advocate who frankly deserves all our respect for all he does in a bid to speed up these processes that clearly need the right voices and the right people.
Now I am going to give the floor to one of the right voices and right people, who work for Albania in Brussels.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell: Thank you, Prime Minister. I am really happy to be in Tirana today with you and your government. Albania is my second stop on my trip to the Western Balkans. Let me start by thanking Prime Minister Edi Rama, with whom I had interesting and good discussions, and I am also looking forward to have the opportunity to meet with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Interior, and the Deputy Minister of Defence later today.
And also, with the civil society, to have exchanges with representatives of the people, the civil society of this country who play such an important role for the country’s democracy and [the] country’s vibrant society.
Everybody knows, and the Prime Minister has been repeating, and I agree with him, that this is a critical moment for us, for the Europeans, in the broader sense of the word, which certainly includes the Western Balkans, and certainly Albania. It is a critical moment, and it is more needed than ever to meet and to discuss with one of our closest allies and partners.
That’s awful – but everybody is watching through the TV channels – how the Russian leadership continues to indiscriminately attack Ukraine and its citizens. It is not just a war, in the military sense of the word; it is an attack against the population of Ukraine, its cities, civilians, including women, children, schools and hospitals.
The Russian armed forces are causing death, desperation and massive damage. Everybody can witness that through their TVs at home. They can also watch the brave resistance of the Ukrainian people who continue supporting their armed forces defending the country. We continue our vast support to Ukraine, to the Ukrainian people. It will continue. In spite of the Russian attacks and threats, this support will continue.
It has been a brutal aggression from Russia to its neighbour. And in response to this brutal aggression against Ukraine and its people, we have adopted today – Prime Minister, I was talking about that with you – a new and fourth package of restrictive measures – what we call colloquially “sanctions” – to further contribute to ramping up our economic pressure on the Kremlin and cripple its logistical bases and its ability to finance the invasion of Ukraine.
The measures that we are taking will affect Russia’s trade, market access, membership in international financial organisations, crypto-assets, exports of goods and targeting critical economic sectors of the economy as steel and energy.
And we are listing still more individuals, there is already more than 800, and more companies that are playing an active role in supporting the people, the “clique” around Putin, who are undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty, from the Russian government.
This is another major blow to the economic and logistic bases upon which Putin is building the invasion and taking the resources to finance it. Needless to repeat, because we have said that many times, that this aggression is an en masse violation of international law and principles and a threat to the security and the stability in Europe.
I know that today Albania is appearing as a [one of the] most reliable partners of the European Union and globally. Albania was already aligned 100% with the European Union Common Security and Foreign Policy before the war and in these testing times, Albania has re-confirmed its engagement and commitment to the international security.
I want more particularly to thank Albania for its work globally in the international arena. As a member of the United Nations Security Council, Albania was a penholder of the United Nations Security Council resolution and co-sponsored the United Nations General Assembly resolution against Russian aggression that resulted with a strong condemnation and isolation of Russia in the international community.
Albania is a member of NATO, it is a NATO ally, but beyond that, it is also a security provider: I am very much grateful to Albania for their contributions to our CSDP [Common Security and Defence Policy] missions, our military missions, around the world. It is an important contribution that was taking place much before the war and I hope it will continue and increase. We will also continue and increase our cooperation on cyber security, to fight against disinformation – [it is] very much needed. And I am proposing to allocate resources to enhance security and defence in the region.
We are living in a moment in which the stability and unity is more important than ever. And it is high time to reinvigorate the enlargement process. I know that you have heard that several times before, and you especially Prime Minister have been saying once and again that you do not need more declarations, but more actions. That is true. But it is also true that it is high time to reinvigorate this process and integrate the Western Balkans in an irreversible manner into the European Union.
Albania met all the conditions for opening the accession negotiations and I strongly support, work, engage, contribute to the start of the accession [talks] during the French Presidency. It is not an undetermined date but it is a time horizon. What I am saying for Albania, should also be true for North Macedonia. Believe me, Prime Minister, we are engaged more than ever. My fellow colleague Commissioner Oliver [Várhelyi] in charge of the accession process is devoting all his efforts to that. Me too. From the broader prospects of the regional stability and foreign policy, all institutions have taken clear understanding of the importance than today more than ever, represents the unity of the Europeans and the integration of the Western Balkans. For this part, this has to be fulfilled in a time horizon as much concrete as the time of the French Presidency.
Certainly, I cannot make it something that engages me personally because it is not up to me, but up to the European institutions as a whole, but we are working as much as we can in order to overcome the latest difficulty for that becoming a reality.
I have also to praise you, Prime Minister, for the speed of your reforms, especially in the field of justice reform to support the Rule of Law, there have been very much significant and need to continue because these reforms supporting the green economy, supporting the digital transformation, will ensure rapid advancement when negotiations are launched.
Let us go – if you allow me – to something closer to the everyday life of the citizens. I know that you have been facing strong concerns in the minds of the people about growing prices. It is not just in Albania. The war has created [inaudible – audio was cut] in the world economy. It is not a consequence of being aligned with the sanctions. Many states that have not aligned with the sanctions at all, are suffering exactly the same process of price increases. The price increase in electricity, in oil, in gas, also in food, which is the consequence of the dependence of all of us, from the world economy integrated, of our mutual interdependence that is now becoming a weapon, because Russia is using it as a weapon. It is not a matter of just Albania or consequence of sanctions. It is the consequence of war; the consequence of the stop of exports, the consequence of price increase in products which affects all of us here in Europe, in the Western Balkans, in North Africa, in Sahel, everywhere.
Allow me to put an example. I was paying my electricity bill at home in Spain, at 50€/mW/h and now it is about 500€/mW/h. This is something that happens in the whole Europe. Electricity prices have been increasing by, at least, 6 times. The oil for my car in Brussels, it is more than €2 by litre – 20% increase. I can say the same thing about food, and I am sorry to say it is going to be a phenomenon that will affect poor countries in the world much more than us, because they are very much dependent of the wheat being produced in Russia, who has just stopped the exports. It will create a wave shock in the world economy, and the only way of facing that is becoming united and putting in place a strategy that allows us to support each other.
And I take good note of your request that any answer to this economic crisis should include the Western Balkans, because we are facing a third asymmetric shock in the European economy.
First, it was the euro crisis in 2008, asymmetric, it affected the countries in the South. The second one was the pandemic, asymmetric, it was affecting more countries than others. This is also asymmetric because look at the Eastern borders of Europe. Poland has been receiving today so many refugees that it has become the country in Europe with the highest proportion of foreign nationals, in a couple of weeks. Things have changed quickly. We have been hosting, in the European Union Member States, more than 2 million people. Putin’s purpose is to destroy Ukraine and to empty Ukraine, pushing their people to escape. 2.5 million today, how many tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow? If the bombing continues, if the population starves? You can live for a while without heating, but not so long without water. And that is what is happening in Mariupol and in many other cities in Ukraine.
The Russian army is unable to conquer, so they stop, they encircle, and they do what they know to do very well: bombing, destroying. They did that in Syria. Remember the pictures of Aleppo. They did that in Chechnya, remember Grozny. And they are doing the same thing in Ukraine. This is going to be the biggest humanitarian crisis as the United Nations Secretary General said yesterday. So, on this occasion, we have to do three things: to isolate Russia from the international community, to put the heavy cost of our economic sanctions on it and support the Ukrainian people. And support the people that are supporting us in this endeavour – and Albania is one of them. One of the most important partners, clearly determined to have a strong stance defending international law, territorial integrity, and human rights.
Finally, Prime Minister, you talk about the Investment Plan, that has mobilised – and will continue mobilising – unprecedented resources to support diversification of energy supply, reducing dependence, strengthening regional cooperation, building infrastructures, and creating jobs. And I take good note of your will that these specific infrastructures that can help a lot to unlock Albania and to integrate it in this physical space of the region will be given the attention that you are asking for and I am sure it will have.
It is this kind of initiative that can address the economic development of the region. To face the consequences of the war, to face future shocks and allow, also, focusing on the economic recovery that can be very much affected by these unhappy events. This is also the moment to show solidarity by all means, from energy-saving to resource-sharing. I am very happy to be here with you, Prime Minister, and to share these thoughts, which will guide our actions. Thank you.
-A question for Mr. Borrell. It was so emotional to see Brussels’ readiness to welcome and support Ukraine when the attack started. Will Brussels wait for a war to knock on the doors of the Balkans, so that in addition to expressing the willingness for a concrete date for the IGC is followed by actions? Will you only stick to words or are you going to actually have an expressed will and actions? You already touched upon it and we know that the crisis of the prices is one that has not only affected Albania, but also Brussels and other world capitals. But it is rather specific in Albania since the level of the salaries is not the same as in the European capitals. However, I would like to ask you: Will you take into account the request of the Prime Minister for financial support to tackle such crisis?
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell: Well, if you allow me, the question is a little bit artificial. Just to say that someone has to be invaded in order to become a candidate is a simplification of a complex and sad reality. We reacted immediately against an invasion – something that does not happen every day – mobilising an incredible amount of military means. We have with Ukraine the most comprehensive Association Agreement than with any other nation in the world. It is a strong partner for us.
We have invested in Ukraine a lot of money since Crimea was grasped by the Russians. So, it is normal that we felt concerned, because it is not just a bilateral matter. It is not just an association between Europe and Ukraine; it is affecting international law and human rights at large. And we were very clear, warning Putin “if you invade Ukraine, you will have to face immediately the toughest package of sanctions that you have ever had to face.” We said that and we did that because we said that. And it has nothing to do with the speed of the enlargement process with other members, with other states. But it has to do with the general political situation in Europe and, certainly, it increases the awareness of the importance of speeding up the process, which really has been stalled in the last years for circumstances that have not a lot to do with the preparation of them, candidate countries, and it increases our willingness to solve them. These are natural consequences of the changes in the environment, and that is what I said. We will have to continue supporting Ukraine. Ukraine has presented a demand to be considered a candidate country, as others, as Moldavia and Georgia.
These demands will take their pace, their time, their procedures, but there are other countries who have been waiting for long, who had been fulfilling all the commitments, all the requirements. And now it is time, I hope – and when there is a will, there is a way – that these events will catalyse a quicker answer. From the point of view of the financial assistance, I take good note of the analysis and considerations of the Prime Minister. During the pandemic, we supported, but at the beginning we were slow. If we have to imagine a plan to face, from an economic perspective, the economic consequences of the war, certainly, it has to integrate the Balkans. But do not believe that to imagine an economic plan to give an answer to such a challenge is something that can be done overnight. The EU leaders discussed about it in the meeting in Versailles, they will continue discussing, and we are opening our financial and economic capacity to respond to a crisis which, once again, is not a matter of Albania alone, is not a matter of Brussels, it is a matter of the strong disruption that the war has created in the world economic circuits, economically and financially. And this requires an answer based on the capacity of our central banks, our investment banks and the financial capacities of the Member States.
-A question for you, Mr. Prime Minister. We have been preparing for a long time now for this wedding, but the bride is not showing up at all. In the Albanian tradition, when a bride is not allowed to show up at the wedding then the marriage is eventually cancelled. Are we going to wait in this direction or will we have to change our approach?
-A question for Mr. Borrell. While consecutive promises on Albania’s integration are coming from the European Union, we see nothing concrete. In these times of war where the risks are heightened for the Western Balkans, do you think that there may be an intervention or interference from another authoritarian regime in the Balkans? For example, the direct effect of Russia into Serbia, and let us not forget the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo?
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell: Certainly, the Russian influence in the Western Balkans is nothing new, nothing new. But Russian disinformation – which is the word that we use today to talk about propaganda and systematic lies – it is increasing. We know that and we perceive that.
For example, The explanation of the war, saying that it is a way of defending the Russian people threatened by the genocide of a “Nazi” criminal, which is how President Zelensky is being depicted, has been very much widespread, using powerful tools that, by the way, we have had to prohibit in the European Union. We have to face this disinformation, because Putin wants, not only to conquer the space, but the spirit of the people, the minds of the people, which is a good way of having influence. So, yes, we will have to face Russian influence in the Balkans, wherever it takes place, in some countries more than in others.
We are very much aware that the Balkans will be a battlefield for ideas, a battlefield for the prospects, a battlefield for the path that the Balkan countries will follow in the future. And this, certainly, reinvigorates a process that has been depending on a question that in front of a war, in front of the human tragedy that we are facing, in front of the suffering of millions of people, appears as not being so much important.
PM Edi Rama: I don’t know this Albanian tradition that you can cancel the wedding bride’s family don’t allow the bride to come, because the weddings in Albanian tradition are actually arranged ones and happen based on an agreement between the families, the bride and the groom, but if I were to actually take what you said for granted, in this case there is no people on the bride’s side to cancel the wedding, because so much in love with Europe, which means that the power of love makes us ready to marry as soon as Europe itself says “I am ready to be wedded too” and is not simply self-complacent by saying: “We love you so much, we aren’t ready yet and we don’t have time to talk.” We are talking about accession negotiations; that is negotiations to wed.
We have already received and I am convinced we will continue receiving declarations of love and I am convinced we deserve such declarations as we are really loveable and I mean Albania and Albanians, but we are no longer going to make preparations for wedding, because we used to do as such previously, because they simply do not show up at the wedding, not because they don’t want to marry, but because they don’t have time to do so right now. Once they find right time to get married, we are ready and we will be there to host this fireworks show, music and great celebration. However, it is going to be a marriage that has been consumed before the marriage itself was to take place.
When it comes to what was most importantly connected to the Russian propaganda, we also discussed another aspect that has to do with the frequent mentioning of Albania by the Moscow authorities as a problematic presence in this conflict and allegations that Albania, together with Kosovo, was supposedly supplying Ukraine with mercenaries. This is definitely an unfounded accusation, but it is also disturbing.
However, we will follow this matter closely and carefully as well and at the same time I want to thank once again the EU High Representative for his visit and for expressing readiness that if, and I hope that if things go this way in the next or in two months’ time, the European Union will do something for the countries, to support the people and if they are going to do that, they will have to include the Western Balkans in this plan.
The exponential increase in energy price –by the way, the energy price in Spain has been liberalized and it is impossible for the government to intervene and therefore the electricity bills have been increased exponentially – but on the other hand, when it comes to soaring prices of all other products and commodities and the basic food items in particular, this is not because of the position we or the European Union have taken, but it is a consequence of the war.
There are other countries that haven’t taken such position, yet they are paying the same price, because economy is interconnected nowadays and the disruption of all the economic chains would bring about this turbulence, which I am convinced that the European Union has all the capacities to overcome, but it would take some time. However, they have the power to do so and we want to be part of this opportunity, as we in the Western Balkans don’t have such power and capacity, but the EU does.
The European Union might be able to overcome all this situation and maybe we didn’t talk about it because we just met today and Mr. Borell already mentioned it before I was to say it, since you have heard me saying, and Mr. Borrell emphasized an expression that is very important for everyone not to forget that “the soaring prices is a weapon that Russia is seeking to use against us. By us I mean our countries and this is a weapon Russia is trying to use in a bid to pitch the public opinion against the governments, so that the governments can start to concede when it comes to the pressure they are exerting on Russia, not for the sake of Ukraine per se, but for the sake of safeguarding the future of all the nations standing with Ukraine and to avoid a World War III.
We should patiently, decisively and clearly try to neutralize this weapon being used by Kremlin, by making it clear that this is not a war that has nothing to do with us. It has all to do with us as it is a war to defend what we as Albanians have earned 31 or 32 years ago so that we never go back to that time.
It is at the same time a war to prevent Russia’s power from expanding further, reaching here or elsewhere. I strongly believe that the European Union has all the capacities to neutralize this weapon and it shall do so. I am confident the EU will neutralize it, because it has all the resources and this is why it is important that the Western Balkans are all part of this.
Beyond everything when it comes to formal opening of the EU accession talks, when it comes to opening the accession chapters, that is the least significant part of it all today vis-à-vis all this other part clearly showing we are part of the very same family, the same community and aligned along the same front and what is happening today actually further strengthens this relation, it further strengthens the conviction of the Member States that the values Albania embodies though as a humble reality in terms of its size, but a reality that is qualitatively clear relative to this community of values and strengthens our conviction that this is the right choice, the fact that we belong to this community and that we will stand by that.
They will be eventually forced to marry us one day. They have no other choice. It is just a matter of time. They can’t avoid such marriage, but we must resist with all the strength of our passion and love that we will show patiently.
Thank you very much!
