Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, and his Montenegrin counterpart, Dritan Abazovic, held a press conference during their Cabinet meeting.
“We can do a lot more to strengthen ties between Albania and Montenegro than we have so far. Our meeting occurs at a difficult period, making the kindness shown to us today all the more precious. In recent years, the European Union has shown signs of being more receptive to and understanding of the region’s concerns. We have seen how negotiations were started with North Macedonia, Kosovo received a date for visa liberalization, and witnessed the EU host a summit outside the EU in Tirana, Albania, and the Council for Stabilization and Association with the EU was held in Montenegro “, Rama stated.
The Albanian Prime Minister says that “When it comes to the EU, everyone is on the same track, but the rate of progress is determined by how well the member states work together. Both Albania and Montenegro are totally invested at this time.” Furthermore, he announced the scheduling of two major conferences.
“I appreciate my colleague’s dedication and determination to host an Open Balkans summit in Montenegro in June, while the Berlin Process summit will be held in Tirana in early autumn, on a date to be set following the meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. That’s how straightforwardly clear it is: the ideals and aspirations of the Berlin Process can’t be realized without an open Balkans. No one will be excluded, and there will be no side favored over the other. Yet, we cannot be satisfied with Berlin’s leadership over a process that rightfully belongs to the Balkans”, Rama declared.
Rama also detailed the meeting’s top priorities and the many plans for future collaboration. “The distance between Ulcinj and Velipoja will be cut from tens of kilometers to just 300 meters thanks to an agreement we signed today to make the construction of a shared fund bridge over the Buna River.
The consortium of Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Croatia has began work on the Adriatic-Ionian gas pipeline, a project that can only be sped up through mutual effort. Rama said the two countries’ governments discussed speeding up plans to build a railway and a blue corridor, as well as beginning the necessary construction to launch ships as a mode of transit between the two nations.”
Rama expressed his gratitude to his Montenegro colleague for intervening swiftly after border police in Podgorica were accused of using excessive force against Professor Petraq Milo.