EU Foreign Policy Chief Kallas: Albania's future is in the EU.

Albanian Prime Minister Rama expressed hope that the negotiation process with the EU would be completed by 2027 and that his country would be a member of the bloc by 2030.

The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas praised Albania's 'ambitious' agenda to complete full membership negotiations within two years and called on its political parties to support these challenging reforms. Kallas, on a regional tour, was in the capital Tirana to meet with leaders of the Western Balkan country and assure them that the country's future lies within the bloc. At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama, she stated, "It is vital to maintain the momentum of reforms. I also know that reforms are always quite difficult." She added, "Albania's future is in the European Union." Kallas told the government in Tirana, "Your decision to fully implement EU sanctions against Russia, in addition to the political, military, and humanitarian support you have provided to Ukraine, demonstrates your commitment to our shared values." The EU decided to begin full membership negotiations with Albania in 2020. Discussions on how the country will align with the union's stance on issues such as the rule of law, democratic institutions, and the fight against corruption began in October 2024. The Western Balkan countries - Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania - are at different stages of the EU membership process. Although the slow progress is frustrating, Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 encouraged EU leaders in Brussels to push for the inclusion of all six countries into the bloc again. Rama stated that he hopes the negotiation process with the EU will be completed by 2027 and that Albania will become a member of the bloc by 2030. The Prime Minister said, "We will not rest until we step through the door of the European Union and sit at the same table." Albania is part of the bloc's growth plan and is expected to receive more than 920 million euros in support over the next decade. Albania also signed a 90 million euro agreement with the European Investment Bank for the reconstruction of the railway between Durres port and Rrogozhine. Kallas stated that this route would serve as a critical corridor for military mobility among NATO member countries in southeastern Europe. "This is extremely important in the current security environment," she said. Parliamentary elections will be held in Albania on May 11. Rama's ruling Socialist Party has made EU membership one of its program goals. Kallas previously visited Montenegro and will conclude her tour with a visit to Bosnia on Tuesday.