EU Ambassador to Albania Sofia Moreira de Sousa praised Albania’s progress toward EU membership after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Tirana.

In a social media post, Moreira de Sousa thanked von der Leyen for visiting Albania and thanked the Albanian authorities for their hospitality.

“The goal is now within reach,” von der Leyen said. Moreira de Sousa noted that Albania stands among the leading countries in the accession process. She said years of hard work by Albanians had brought the country to this point.

The ambassador said Albania must continue its work in several areas during the final stage of the process.

“Now, the final stage is also the most demanding. We must strengthen justice and the rule of law, improve the electoral framework and protect Albania’s extraordinary nature,” Moreira de Sousa said.

She also stressed the need for political engagement and dialogue with society. “As the President emphasized, this requires the sincere commitment of all political actors and strong, continuous dialogue with society,” the ambassador said.

Moreira de Sousa also highlighted von der Leyen’s visit to “Emin Duraku” School. She described it as one of the moments she would remember from the visit.

“Through EU4Schools, we have rebuilt or renovated 63 schools following the 2019 earthquake. The children who study in these schools today show why this work matters so much,” she said.

The EU ambassador also underlined what Albania’s membership would mean for the European Union. “When Albania joins, it will also make our Union stronger,” Sofia Moreira de Sousa concluded.