Failure of the EU to set a date for the launch of the first intergovernmental talks between the Union and Albania and North Macedonia has been considered by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Rama expressed that opinion at the Economic Forum being held in North Macedonia on Wednesday a day after the Portugal’s presidency announced that there was no date for the start of the accession talks of those two Western Balkan countries because of the Bulgarian veto on North Macedonia.
“It is not the first time they have failed to give the opportunity for the First Conference. It’s more or less like a wedding affair, where everything is done right, and the bride doesn’t show up in the end. We will continue to move forward, to do our job,” the PM said, adding that Albania was ready even before, but all postponements had been linked with internal affairs of certain EU member countries. “We are not doing this because some statesmen in Brussels are telling us we have to move forward. I am not at all pessimistic, although they may fail several times. We are an important economic partner with North Macedonia. We have not failed, they have failed. It is their home, we want to enter this house, so we do not decide. We are in Europe, we are surrounded by European borders.”
In the meantime, Rama felt sorry only for one thing and that was the lack of sincerity of Brussels which, according to him, would have done better to tell them that ‘we love you within the family, but there are some rules, which are not ready yet’, as a slightly strange situation is created. This should be done as the citizens of Albania trust these European officials, and think that domestic politics is a problem, concluded Albanian Premier. / argumentum.al
