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German Unity Day/ Message from Ambassador Bergner: We support Albania in reforms and the fight against corruption

2025-10-03 16:12:00, Politikë CNA

German Unity Day/ Message from Ambassador Bergner: We support Albania in reforms

This Friday, October 3rd, coincides with the Day of German Reunification, which occurred 35 years ago. On this occasion, German Ambassador Karl Bergner has shared an important message.

Bergner emphasizes that this day is a celebration of freedom, democracy, and the ability for self-determination, and that even seemingly impenetrable borders can be overcome.

The Ambassador states that the unification of Germany is not only a domestic German success, but also of the allies and partners who have contributed to this.

The Ambassador also shared support for Albania, for necessary reforms and the fight against corruption.

Ambassador Karl Bergner's full message:

Today we celebrate German Reunification Day. This day reminds us of the peaceful reunification of our country 35 years ago - it is a celebration of freedom, democracy and the ability to self-determination - even seemingly impenetrable borders can be overcome! Today we also remember the courage of the Albanian citizens who also 35 years ago climbed the wall of the German Embassy towards freedom. However, the reunification of Germany is not only an internal German success. Our allies and partners have also made their contribution in this direction through decades of solidarity. From the experience of division and reunification, we have learned that peace, freedom and democracy are not self-evident, they require the joint and active commitment of everyone.

A central prerequisite for this is security: security is not everything, but it is the foundation of our freedom and prosperity. The threats posed by unidentified drones - but presumed to be Russian - over Danish airports just before the CEEC summit in Denmark highlight this aspect, as do incidents in other European countries.

When we broaden our perspective, the challenges are great: it has now been more than three years since the outbreak of the brutal war of Russian aggression against Ukraine, we also have an ongoing crisis in the Middle East, an increasingly fragmented world order, new rivalries between great powers - and the list unfortunately goes on.

In these times of profound challenges, Germany, as Europe's largest economy, bears a special responsibility. We will therefore work with our partners in the EU and NATO to actively pursue the following goals:

First, we must preserve the rules-based international order. To do this, we will support the UN and other international organizations so that we can jointly address global challenges such as climate change.

Secondly, we must strengthen the European pillar of NATO: This concerns the security of Europe as a whole, to which everyone must contribute, whether they are EU and/or NATO members. Germany will therefore provide over 500 billion euros by 2029 to strengthen Germany's and the alliance's defense capabilities.

We also appreciate the contribution that Albania makes to NATO and through its participation in missions within the framework of the common defense and security policies. We are grateful for its positions in full compliance with those of the EU in foreign policy and, most importantly, with the values ??of the EU.

And third, we must further develop the EU as a strong and united actor in the world. The European Union guarantees the security and freedom of over 450 million people. We must strengthen our defence capabilities, reduce dependencies and actively promote our values. This also means that we must work towards deeper integration in areas such as security, the economy and climate protection.

The challenging security situation is often cited as a geopolitical argument for EU enlargement: but this is only valid if the enlargement brings increased security for the Union. A prerequisite for this is internal stability and the common values ??of the new members: the EU is founded on the core values ??of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. These are not just phrases, but the necessary condition for mutual solidarity and resistance to external influence. This of course also applies to Albania's accession to the EU. We welcome the culmination of this process, as expressed in the opening of the five negotiating chapters. And we trust that the government will show the same determination in implementing the necessary changes, which meet the expectations of Albanian and European citizens.

Germany stands by Albania in the EU accession process based on merit. We support Albania in the necessary reforms and in strengthening its institutions, promoting civil society and fighting corruption and crime. These are also the expectations of Albanian citizens, as I have been able to learn in many conversations. They expect, for example, constructive cooperation in parliament, respect for the separation of powers and independent judicial institutions.

And they expect the continuation of the fight against corruption, and at this point I would like to express my respect for SPAK and many other members of the judiciary, who work every day for the rule of law, and resist corruption and public pressure. I cannot praise their performance enough.

However, German support is not limited to EU membership and the so-called "basics". We want Albania to be a stable and prosperous country that offers its citizens a good life. The Albanian population wants the strong economic growth of recent years to reach them, the so-called "little people". Therefore, Germany supports sustainable economic development through the implementing organizations GIZ and KË. With 37 years of this cooperation, Germany is the largest and longest-standing bilateral donor in Albania.

The aim of German cooperation is always to strengthen the capacities of partners in all our projects. A good example is the administrative partnership between the competition authorities of our countries, which will start in November.

Our cooperation promotes the country's great potential, for example in the field of sustainable tourism: Albania's spectacular presentation at this year's International Tourism Fair in Berlin attracted a lot of positive attention. Germany also supports the creation of sustainable framework conditions and the expansion of important basic infrastructure, both in the areas of energy, water and wastewater, and by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, especially in rural areas. With the help of a major GIZ project, we are also addressing the increasingly tangible effects of climate change.

The open exchanges with our partners during project visits, especially in rural areas, touch me deeply: they are confirmation that we are doing the right thing. For this, I would like to especially thank the employees of the implementing organizations, but also the thousands of project partners in Albania./CNA