Prime Minister Edi Rama attended today the 10th edition of the World Policy Conference in Morocco in view of the Global Governance. Prime Minister Edi Rama was invited to the panel on “The Future of South-eastern Europe”, together with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, where he spoke on the importance of regional cooperation and the role of Albania in this cooperation, as well as the challenges of the country’s integration in the EU.
Bringing as an example the already normalized relations between Albania and Serbia, Prime Minister Rama emphasized that the best future for the peoples of the two countries, what the government should choose, is good neighbourliness and mutual co-operation for the common good of citizens. “What I see as a very positive reflection of this, is that many things are changing at the level of population. It is a new way of living in the Balkans, a way that is fundamentally disconnected from the culture of how we lived in the past”, the prime minister said.
In the framework of the perspective of regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations, the prime minister noted among other things that by recognizing Kosovo, Serbia will make a big step forward and get rid of the burden of the past. “Today Kosovo is a Republic. It is there and it functions as an independent, sovereign state, with its institutions, and I am very happy to say, with a very admirable model of respect for minorities, primarily for the Serbian minority, who has its representation in parliament and in the government. My conviction has always been and remains that by recognizing Kosovo, Serbia will make a big step forward and be relieved of a burden of the past, which is a hindrance to look at the future with less of a burden.”
Talking about the prospect of EU enlargement with new aspiring countries, the prime minister said that countries are at a different historic moment, which is that of completing a process that has been launched. “We are at a different historical moment, compared to the rapid expansion phase of the beginning. We now face the need to complete the launched process. It is not just about enlargement, but about the completion of this process. Above all, there is Europe’s strategic need not to leave the Balkans as a grey area where other actors can put their hands and promote their agendas, fuelling possible conflicts.”
The prime minister stressed that it is very important for the Balkan countries to be part of the European project as a factor for a safer Europe. “It is very important to conclude this project, exactly for the same reason which anti-Europeans point out, precisely for the reason of security.”
The prime minister said that today’s Balkans is clearly positioned in favour of the EU and is working hard on this prospect. “What we are doing today in the region is not happening because we are different from our predecessors who made wars. This is happening because in this region there is a strong pro-European sentiment. This region is the right place to understand how attractive Europe is for people who know what war is, who have seen it and know how badly things can go because of it, so I again reiterate the fact that the integration process will help soften this discontent and disagreement.”
Prime Minister Edi Rama attended today the 10th edition of the World Policy Conference in Morocco in view of the Global Governance. Prime Minister Edi Rama was invited to the panel on “The Future of South-eastern Europe”, together with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, where he spoke on the importance of regional cooperation and the role of Albania in this cooperation, as well as the challenges of the country’s integration in the EU.
Bringing as an example the already normalized relations between Albania and Serbia, Prime Minister Rama emphasized that the best future for the peoples of the two countries, what the government should choose, is good neighbourliness and mutual co-operation for the common good of citizens. “What I see as a very positive reflection of this, is that many things are changing at the level of population. It is a new way of living in the Balkans, a way that is fundamentally disconnected from the culture of how we lived in the past”, the prime minister said.
In the framework of the perspective of regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations, the prime minister noted among other things that by recognizing Kosovo, Serbia will make a big step forward and get rid of the burden of the past. “Today Kosovo is a Republic. It is there and it functions as an independent, sovereign state, with its institutions, and I am very happy to say, with a very admirable model of respect for minorities, primarily for the Serbian minority, who has its representation in parliament and in the government. My conviction has always been and remains that by recognizing Kosovo, Serbia will make a big step forward and be relieved of a burden of the past, which is a hindrance to look at the future with less of a burden.”
Talking about the prospect of EU enlargement with new aspiring countries, the prime minister said that countries are at a different historic moment, which is that of completing a process that has been launched. “We are at a different historical moment, compared to the rapid expansion phase of the beginning. We now face the need to complete the launched process. It is not just about enlargement, but about the completion of this process. Above all, there is Europe’s strategic need not to leave the Balkans as a grey area where other actors can put their hands and promote their agendas, fuelling possible conflicts.”
The prime minister stressed that it is very important for the Balkan countries to be part of the European project as a factor for a safer Europe. “It is very important to conclude this project, exactly for the same reason which anti-Europeans point out, precisely for the reason of security.”
The prime minister said that today’s Balkans is clearly positioned in favour of the EU and is working hard on this prospect. “What we are doing today in the region is not happening because we are different from our predecessors who made wars. This is happening because in this region there is a strong pro-European sentiment. This region is the right place to understand how attractive Europe is for people who know what war is, who have seen it and know how badly things can go because of it, so I again reiterate the fact that the integration process will help soften this discontent and disagreement.”
