The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, stated that a summit for Ukraine will be held in Tirana, where the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, will also participate.
Rama made these comments during a press briefing with journalists in Skopje after attending the conference with Western Balkan leaders, “Western Balkans Growth Plan and Fast-track Integration into the EU”, held on Monday in Skopje.
“We are preparing a summit in Tirana for Ukraine, and President Zelensky will be present. Alongside that, we will try to have another meeting in that timeframe with regional leaders and representatives who will follow this process of the European Commission and the U.S. administration to assess this month from today until the end of February and continue to work at an accelerated pace dictated by the ongoing processes in Europe,” said Rama.
However, Rama did not specify when this summit in the Albanian capital for Ukraine, which has been facing Russia’s unprovoked invasion for almost two years, will take place.
The Albanian Prime Minister stated that the summit in Tirana would support Ukraine and discuss security challenges with Zelensky and other participants.
On June 15, 2022, Rama, along with the then-Prime Minister of Montenegro, Dritan Abazović, had stayed in Kyiv and met with Zelensky. Albania, like other regional countries except Serbia, has imposed sanctions against Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine and has offered support to Kyiv.
Speaking in Skopje on January 22, Rama said that the meetings held at the conference in the Macedonian capital were in a positive atmosphere. He did not respond to journalists’ questions about why the planned joint conference of regional leaders had been canceled.
Regarding the informal meeting where Western Balkan leaders participated, Rama emphasized positive communication.
“There is nothing personal here, and in fact, it is the first time I am at a dinner with both [Kosovo Prime Minister] Albin Kurti and [Serbia’s President, Aleksandar] Vučić, and I don’t find that anything happened other than positive communication among all,” emphasized Rama.
The European Union’s plan for the Western Balkans aims at the economic growth of the region, speeding up necessary reforms, and making investments that could advance the EU enlargement process with these countries.
The amount allocated by the EU for this plan for the period 2024-2027 is 6 billion euros.
Rama stated that this plan is essential not only for the region’s states in economic terms but also for the stability and peace of the region, emphasizing the need to “forget the colors of flags and leave behind the stories of conflicts”.
