Albania moves closer to the European Union as it prepares for the 9th Intergovernmental Conference with the EU on July 14 in Brussels. Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that Albania will provisionally close the first three negotiation chapters, marking a major milestone in the country’s EU accession process.
The conference follows years of reforms and negotiations between Albania and the European Union. In July 2022, Albania officially opened accession talks during the first Intergovernmental Conference, which launched the screening and negotiation process.
Since then, Albania has advanced negotiations across several key areas, including fundamental rights, justice, foreign relations, the internal market, competitiveness, digital transformation, energy, environment, agriculture and economic development.
In October 2024, the second Intergovernmental Conference opened negotiations on the “Fundamentals” cluster. The talks focused on justice, public administration reform, democratic institutions, public procurement and financial control. Later conferences expanded the process to foreign policy, the internal market, competitiveness, the green agenda and agriculture.
In May 2026, the eighth Intergovernmental Conference pushed Albania into the final phase of negotiations. The EU confirmed that the country had met key conditions related to justice and fundamental rights.
Ahead of the ninth conference, the EU’s Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) approved the provisional closure of three chapters: Chapter 25 on Science and Research, Chapter 26 on Education and Culture, and Chapter 30 on External Relations.
This decision recognizes Albania’s progress in implementing reforms, aligning with EU standards and strengthening its path toward membership. Moreover, it highlights the country’s commitment to meeting the requirements of the European Union.
The closure of Chapter 25 reflects Albania’s efforts to develop scientific research, innovation and technological progress. Meanwhile, Chapter 26 recognizes improvements in education, culture and youth policies. In addition, Chapter 30 confirms Albania’s alignment with EU foreign policy and its role as a reliable European partner.
Finally, the July 14 conference in Brussels is expected to confirm this achievement and bring Albania three steps closer to its strategic goal of full EU membership.
/a.c/
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