The Albanian PM says the western Balkans should not ‘abandon’ the EU dream

The Prime Minister of Albania has called on leaders in the West Balkans to reject foreign terrorists and remain true to the dreams of EU members.

Edi Rama said Albania “will not give up on Europe and the EU, regardless of the EU’s future shape” as it seeks to dig into the blocyo’s politics due to pressure from the country.

Speaking to the Financial Times, he admitted that it was frustrating to wait. But like Russia, China and Turkey all in the regional court, Rama said such suits, which he did not name, were inappropriate. “Others can bring in money, money, maybe caviar, but they can’t bring what you need to build a free world,” he said.

The remarks came as North Bosnia faced a major political crisis since the end of the civil war 25 years ago, sparked by the escalation of separatist talks with the troubled Bosnian Serb leader.

Rama said he was concerned about the rise of the country in Bosnia but the unpopularity in the EU is now a major obstacle to the aspirations of those in the region to join 27 members.

The EU was “not recovering” from the 2015 refugee crisis, he said, as more than 1m people sought refuge in Europe, especially fleeing the Syrian war. Since then the EU has been “driven by fear and not by passion”, and governments that are “not extremist in themselves” are “affected by extremism”.

When Albania began to replace the Balkans about 20 years ago, its secret was to leave the Balkans, but “today, our problem is not the Balkans but the EU. What hinders us[joining the EU]. . . and the influence of the EU on the political life of key EU member states. ”

In the “western Balkans”, Albania along with Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia are the ones who want to join the EU, while Kosovo and Bosnia are the only ones who can. The region is plagued by serious corruption and lawlessness, but as Rama points out, the political rhetoric for EU members has also played a role in the 18-year delay since the bill promised to include them upon completion. points.

“The Albanian people have their grievances with Brussels, but that does not change the fact that we have to be there,” he said. “We have used all the love stories in the past, and marriages,” he said in a statement describing the first relations with Russia and then China, which Albania had during the Communist era. “We are looking for a new marriage, not an old one. But it is true that this type of marriage is not easy. ”

Rama, in its third term, has been promoting the idea of ​​a common regional market that all six countries agreed to in November 2020. To speed up the process Albania, along with Serbia and North Macedonia, have signed up to implement some of the measures. contributions. “If we do this in the Balkans, this will be a madness and if we do not, no one can do it for us.”

He admitted that the other three were skeptical. “The Bosnians, because they have no choice, apparently, are Montenegrin because they are still in the process of qualifying for the EU next year, and each year becomes the next year… and dialogue. “

Concerning Albania, which in the past 30 years has reaped the pain of rebuilding its economy after the end of its strong communist rule, he said that “it can be a place where people can enjoy life. There is no 100% penalty, when everything will work like a Swiss or German watch, but don’t get tired. ”