This Thursday, the EU Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato, spoke to Euronews Albania in an interview with moderator Mirela Milori. Gonzato discussed Albania’s integration process and stated that there is no blockage in the process. On the other hand, he emphasized that these are confidential discussions in accordance with the procedures of the process. Gonzato also said that, in his view, there is a lot of speculation regarding the discussions within COELA, the Council Working Group on Enlargement.
Excerpt from the interview:
Journalist: I understand, however, the media has reported that nine European Union member states have blocked the progress of the process known as IBAR, a process that assesses Albania’s progress so far. The media even mentions the names of these countries—Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Poland, Greece, and Bulgaria—countries which, according to the media, are not yet convinced that it is time to give Albania the green light. What is the position of these countries, how much influence do they have, and is it true that all nine of them are skeptical about the further progress of the process?
Ambassador: First of all, this is a process where consensus must be reached. The sequence of meetings aims to build consensus among Member States. The Commission is there to answer questions, respond to critical points raised by Member States, and provide the information they need in order to confirm or possibly correct their perceptions.
There is a lot of speculation about what is currently happening in the so-called COELA, the Council Working Group on Enlargement, and frankly, I do not want to go into that. These are confidential negotiations, and we must allow that space to be respected.
What is certain is that the meetings are continuing. Another one is scheduled, which means that negotiations are ongoing. Therefore, I do not think we can speak of blockages. Of course, a discussion is taking place. Member States have examined the technical assessment by the Commission, but they also want to consider the broader political context in which these reforms have taken place.
It is not a matter of some Member States blocking others or having different opinions. It is simply a matter of discussing the situation, assessing it, asking questions to the Commission, and then deciding what will be included in the common position.
And the common position concerns the closing benchmarks. Therefore, this discussion does not mean that the Commission presents a report and Member States simply decide yes or no. No, it takes time, because they must determine what kind of requirements should be set at the end of the process to ensure that these reforms are anchored in the Albanian system and are sustainable, meaning they cannot be reversed.
Journalist: And you say there cannot be a blockage, but could there be a separation of the process, for example with Montenegro? Could Albania be placed in a different category in terms of progress in the integration process?
Ambassador: To be honest, I have never heard of any linkage between Montenegro and Albania. Both countries have been described as front-runners, because Albania has made significant progress last year in opening chapters and catching up with Montenegro.
In fact, if you look at the current situation, candidate countries are indeed at the forefront. But I do not think there has ever been any discussion about linking them together. And as you know, we continue to repeat that the process is merit-based. Each country is assessed based on its own performance.
The post Exclusive / Gonzato: There is no blockage in Albania’s EU integration processes appeared first on Euronews Albania.
