By Talha Ozturk
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) — A top EU official on Wednesday praised Albania's "vision and patience" for the implementation of its Growth Plan reform agenda, aimed at joining the European bloc.
"It is the result of many, many years of hard work. Also, it is a dedication to the common goal. You have shown both vision and patience and this is paying off," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters after a meeting with Albanian Premier Edi Rama in the capital Tirana.
Her visit comes a week after the EU officially opened the first set of chapters with Albania, marking a significant step in the country’s accession negotiations.
This milestone followed the second accession conference between the EU and Albania held in Luxembourg last week.
According to Von der Leyen, enlargement will remain the EU's top priority.
"We have now all the necessary tools and instruments that we need in place. So let's go to a good work," she said at the news conference in Tirana.
She added that Albania would benefit from €920 million ($991.3 million) in additional EU investments with the first instalment by the end of next year.
Albania filed its official application for EU membership in 2009.
Following the commission's positive opinion in October 2012, the EU Council decided to grant the country "candidate status" in June 2014, with accession talks officially beginning about eight years later in July 2022.
The cluster of chapters opened with Albania includes those on the judiciary and fundamental rights, justice, freedom, and security within the scope of the functioning of democratic institutions and public administration reform, as well as the chapters and criteria on public procurement, statistics, and financial control under economic criteria.
Negotiations on these issues will continue until the end of the accession talks. The overall pace of the process will be decided by Albania's progress in implementing Brussels' demands.
European Commission President Von der Leyen is currently on a tour of the Western Balkans.
She is expected to visit North Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina Thursday before moving on to the Serbian capital Belgrade on Friday.