TIRANA, April 30 – Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka joined Austrian and Slovak counterparts in Tirana for a joint press conference with Albania’s Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha, where they reaffirmed support for Albania’s European Union path and reviewed progress in accession talks.
At the start, Macinka framed the visit as both a political signal and a working engagement, as he stressed that the ministers came not only to express support but also to hear directly about developments. He also recalled Albania’s 2009 EU application submitted in Prague during the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which he linked to the current stage of negotiations.
He then pointed to concrete progress, noting that Albania has moved quickly in opening negotiation chapters over the past 30 months, and he described this pace as strong and consistent. In this context, he said the country now stands among the more advanced candidates in the enlargement process.
At the same time, Macinka noted that the process is becoming more demanding, as deeper reforms and sustained implementation are now required. Even so, he said Albania has the capacity and commitment to continue forward, while the progress achieved so far provides a solid base for the next phase.
Turning to the regional context, he underlined that the Western Balkans plays a key role in Europe’s stability and security, and he stressed that all countries in the region belong in the European Union and should move toward membership as soon as possible.
The meeting in Tirana also confirmed coordinated support from the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia, as the ministers aligned their message on enlargement and placed the region at the centre of the European Union’s strategic agenda.
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