TIRANA, May 26 – Albania and the European Union will hold the eighth Intergovernmental Conference on accession negotiations in Brussels today. The meeting is expected to advance reforms under Cluster 1 “Fundamentals”.
The conference will confirm Albania’s fulfilment of interim benchmarks. It will also define final benchmarks for the cluster, which remains central to the negotiation process.
Meanwhile, the EU General Affairs Council will host the meeting under the Cypriot Presidency. The Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna will chair the EU side.
In addition, the Albanian delegation will be led by Prime Minister Edi Rama. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos will also attend.
The conference is scheduled to start at around 19:00 in Brussels. A press conference will follow after its conclusion.
Cluster 1 covers key accession chapters. It includes Chapter 23 on judiciary and fundamental rights. It also includes Chapter 24 on justice, freedom and security. In addition, it covers democratic institutions, public administration reform, and economic criteria for membership. It also includes Chapter 5 on public procurement, Chapter 18 on statistics, and Chapter 32 on financial control.
Earlier conferences opened all negotiation clusters. These include Fundamentals, Internal Market, Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth, Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity, Resources and Cohesion, and External Relations.
The process follows the EU’s new enlargement methodology. Progress in Cluster 1 remains decisive for the overall pace of Albania’s EU accession path.
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