EU ambassador to Tirana Romana Vlahutin handed over today to Prime Minister Edi Rama the Progress Report of the European Commission for Albania. Below, the statement of the Prime Minister at a joint press conference:

 

Prime Minister Edi Rama: When we took office three years ago, Albania had already been rejected three times in three consecutive years in its attempt to obtain the candidate status.

The new reformist agenda of the Alliance for European Albania paved the way for the recovery of Albania also in the eyes of the European family and of the international community as a whole. Our country received the candidate status in the European Union and today, after two years of great convincing efforts in the wake of receiving the status, Albania has just received the European Commission’s recommendation for opening accession negotiations with the European Union.

Three years ago, this achievement so significant in the integration process seemed a mission impossible within our first government term, but our reformist agenda and a unrelenting daily battle, after a unjustified and perennial delay to take forward radical reforms that were difficult and had a high cost in every sector, proved that we were right also internationally. The European Commission has assessed so positively the progress made through the reforms in every field, that it has given the green light for the opening of negotiations with Albania.

The cauldron of nonsense boiling every day in our political and media assembly, raised so much noise about the conditions set for Albania. Albanians heard over and over again that even cannabis would be a condition for opening negotiations, and so on and so forth.

Once again, those who were rejected for three consecutive years, when they were simply seeking candidate status for Albania, said all sort of things. And not only this, but two days ago they were openly against the recommendation to launch negotiations. Albania received today a positive recommendation for the launch of these negotiations without conditions, and quite naturally only with the understanding that it will continue interruptedly the work for the implementation of the judicial reform until the commencement of work on the negotiating table. Specifically, on the vetting of judges and prosecutors. So the only point underlined by the European Commission, as a mutually agreed premise to move smoothly towards the commencement of work on the negotiating table, you can call it condition if you will, is the progress in the implementation of the judicial reform and specifically, the implementation of the vetting law.

But allow me to tell you that it doesn’t take a genius to understand that this premise or condition is in the first place, the premise or the condition that this government has set itself on the path towards European Albania. A path which we have chosen, the Albanians chose 26 years ago, without anybody dictating it to us. Just as we have done and will do one by one all the reforms and homework of the European integration, not because Brussels wants us to but because we owe it to our children, to the next generation of Albanians. I highlight this fact, as I have always done, because I firmly believe that the European Albania, the modern state of Albanians can be built only by following the path of European integration, which is the only way to become a state, build institutions, strengthen society and increase the welfare of the Albanian people.

Let me explain that between the moment that a recommendation is given and the moment you sit on at the table to open the big file of the negotiations chapters, there is as a rule a preparatory period during which the country, every country, should not just technically prepare the work plan, the team of negotiators and the supervisory and coordination structures of the process, but it must continue making progress in every field. Therefore, there is no doubt now that Albania can launch negotiations, once this big preparatory work is done, and we continue giving evidence of an ongoing progress in every field, including in the first place, the vetting law enforcement.

Also, if we look at the experience of other countries that started before us this process in the European Union, the underlying, or if you will the conditionality for lifting the curtain of negotiations with the further progress in the meantime, and particularly with the vetting law enforcement, in our case, is something quite normal. How can we imagine that negotiations could be launched normally, if the vetting implementation for judges and prosecutors has not started yet once the teams are ready to sit at the table? Anybody with half a brain can understand this, just as the short-sighted people know, those who blocked the vetting temporary with the embarrassing request to proclaim it anti-constitutional, and who are ready to waylay Albania on the path of negotiations, for well-known reasons.

They will certainly continue to say over and over again that there are no negotiations; there are no negotiations with cannabis; there are no negotiations with this government, there are no negotiations with Albania, and so on and so forth. And the devil knows what they will keep saying to prevent Albanians from enjoying this not quite small achievement, and from looking hopefully and with confidence to the future which we are building together and in close collaboration with our friends and partners, through our transformative reforms.

Meanwhile, without any discussion they will do their best to prevent not only the vetting law enforcement, but also every law on judicial reform, which is the alpha and omega of the success of negotiations on the first two chapters on justice to be opened at the negotiation table.

But the only thing that we should, can and will do, is to keep going firmly on the hard way to make Albania revive, and make it as soon as possible an EU member. This beautiful and challenging moment of getting the recommendation from the European Commission, imposes on everyone and on us as a government and as a majority, to reach out even more to every citizen, every community, every municipality, university, non-governmental organization and seek their collaboration in order to make Albania even more successful on the new path, filled with ambitions and new hardships that open the accession negotiations.

Of course, we reach out also to the opposition, and perhaps there’s not a lot it can do. But it can reflect on what it can do and what we can do more all together to help the opposition take on its role, to return to its duties and fill in again the place it has left empty since three years.

However let’s enjoy this moment, being aware that it is not the great achievement towards the destination we are heading, but a new starting point full of hope and new tasks on the path to next generation Albania.

Finally, allow me to thank especially all those who have dealt directly with this process, as friends and as partners, the head of European diplomacy Federica Mogherini, Commissioner Hahn, their team in Brussels and obviously, the team here in Tirana, with a special thanks to ambassador Vlahutin. Many thanks!

What happens with the negotiations, if the Constitutional Court rejects the Vetting law?

Commissioner Hahn was allegedly to come to Tirana and meet you, but this meeting has been apparently cancelled. Is this true?

Prime Minister Rama: I can tell you only this. Albanians should know and we will repeat them every day, there is only one understood premise, or if you want to call it a condition, for starting negotiations on the table with the European Union: the vetting law enforcement. Of course, common sense requires everybody to be interested as soon as possible in us starting the enforcement of this law, but reality shows us that not everybody wants the enforcement of this law that cleanse our justice system from the corrupt judges and prosecutors who have grabbed the justice system by its neck and have prevented justice from delivering justice for more than 20 years in a row. We cannot say “if”, but I’m hopeful that no minority, no matter how well-organized, behind the scenes or on the stage trying to hinder an historic process such as that of integration that has a great national interest, is able to hinder it, because it stems from an historic will of the Albanian people.

As for the other question, the commissioner and I agreed to have the Report handed over in real time during his statement today in Brussels.

At what extent the conflict with Greece over Himara can become an obstacle for Albania? During the commission’s meeting today, some Greek MEPs claimed that you are violating the relations with Greece, the rights of minorities, and therefore they were surprised that a positive recommendation was given. Next question: cannabis was mentioned several times in your speech and in that of Ms the ambassador. Will you attend the meeting of the Security Council President on this subject?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: First, about the issue raised and the relevant allegations concerning the implementation of a project in Himara, I have given my opinion and do not want to repeat what I said, by which I abide completely. Second, I didn’t mention cannabis several times, but I mentioned it sufficiently, since you are witnesses of the fact that Albanians have been told that cannabis would be a condition to launch negotiations. But if you read the Progress Report, the part concerning the State Police, you will see an assessment that makes us proud and also motivates us to keep with the battle against crime, against trafficking and of course against cannabis, in order to modernize the State Police.

Will you attend?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I don’t think this question is pertinent to a press conference.

No doubt that Albania is closer than ever with the European Union, but are you willing Mr Prime Minister to allow room to the repeated request of the Democratic Party for the creation of a technical government in view of the next elections, since there will undoubtedly be an important test in terms of the integration process and its path?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: The answer to this question is within the question itself, since I believe that today Albania is governed by a majority that has been given a mandate to make reforms and to implement a process that we found blocked and helpless, the process of European integration. We received a positive recommendation because we could actually implement one of the most ambitious commitments in 2013. How could such a process and such a mandate be questioned because of the political agenda, or of the strategy and tactics of the opposition? It seems senseless.

If the Constitutional Court is to require partial changes in the vetting law, will the majority be ready to have its experts sit together with the opposition to have this law as it will be required?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: I believe that our platform is so concrete that in the Progress Report of the European Commission you can read also about the progress made in economic terms. There is a chapter clearly speaking about a sustained progress, in addition to giving an overview that is totally different from the distorted mirror of all propaganda, accusations, slanders, lies, about what we have done for the economy. Of course, no government can ever do for the economy as much as it can make people satisfied, let alone happy. It would be a mission impossible. But today, there’s in parliament a budget-project that takes form the state budget to the pockets of Albanians 100 million dollars allocated for salaries and pensions. And in these years, including also the next year, we have moved from the state budget directly to the household budget, in the form of salaries and pensions which were increased following a tax cut, a total of 540 million dollars. Let me remind you that the previous government allocated to the household budget in the last 8 years only 124 million dollars. You can do the math.

With regard to the other part I don’t want to say “if”. I just want to say that we are doing our duty. Of course we are proud that in doing our duty we are making long-due reforms that have been hindered for more than 20 years. We have started to reap the well-deserved rewards, and we have a strict arbiter such as the European Commission who today tells us that the EU is ready to launch accession negotiations with Albania. I think this is very meaningful. Of course, the start of the vetting law enforcement is implied, because there is nothing we can discuss and negotiate about without it, because there can be no accession to the European Union without a full implementation of the justice reform and without transforming justice into a European justice.

You talked about the opposition, but at what stage do you think Albania would be today in terms of negotiations, if the then opposition Socialist Party had voted the three laws back then?

Does the Prime Minister of Albania regret the statements on Mr Trump, now that he has become the next President of the United States?

Prime Minister Edi Rama: First, allow me to say that Albania wouldn’t have been granted the candidate status with or without the three law, let alone have negotiations launched.

As for the other question, allow me to say that my statements against Donald Trump as a candidate were due to the fact that I felt concerned as an Albanian citizen, as a citizen of this country and as a Prime Minister because of his statements on Kosovo, on the Muslims, on immigrants. And I’m not the only one. Indeed, I’m a drop in the ocean of the unfavourable pronouncements about him, during a campaign that involved the whole world. Because the United States are a point of reference for the whole world, and elections in the United States imply a choice that naturally includes everyone. But today, he was elected by the sovereign people to lead the United States, and my respect as Prime Minister of this country, our respect as citizens of this country, for the people and the government of America, for the president as the embodiment of the will of the sovereign, as well as our friendship and strategic alliance with the United States cannot even be questioned. And I feel really sorry, let’s say sorry, for the banality of some aghas and manservants of the grand café of our politics, who are so simple-minded that it seems they’re almost complaining about me to the President of America. But the world does not work this way, the United States do not work this way, and no longer does Albania, which I have the great honour and privilege to rule.

Thank you!