Ditmir Bushati: IBAR may approve that Albania should enter the path of concluding accession talks

2026-04-28 20:06:00, Politikë CNA

Ditmir Bushati: IBAR may approve that Albania should enter the path of

Former Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati was present at a meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the invitation of former President Borut Pahor, with a focus on Western Balkan issues.

Through a video post on social media, Bushati focused on recent developments in the region, which give Montenegro further advancement towards EU membership.

Bushati emphasized that in the future, IBAR is expected to adopt the same decision for Albania, thus putting it on the path to concluding negotiations for membership in the European Union.

Full message:

Like today, 17 years ago, Albania submitted its application for membership in the European Union. 17 years later, I am in Slovenia at the invitation of President Pahor, as part of the Western Balkans Friends Group, to discuss with colleagues from the countries of the region, and with representatives of the governments of key European Union member states, regarding our path towards the EU.

Now the EU enlargement process is seen as part of the consolidation of the European project and the positioning and role of Europe in the international arena alongside other global players. In this context, the need for geopolitical alignment and for genuine, in-depth reforms in the area of ??the rule of law is greater than ever. The best news from the region is that for Montenegro, the decision of the member states to start drafting the accession treaty of Montenegro to the EU, which sends a clear political message to the region that the EU countries are ready to welcome Montenegro as the 28th country of the EU.

For Albania, discussions on IBAR, on the interim milestone report in the field of the rule of law, are continuing. The critical mass of support from member states has not yet been reached, apparently some of them have not made their final decision and are waiting for irrefutable evidence of our political will in the fight against organized crime and corruption.

I sincerely hope that in the coming days and weeks, IBAR will be approved and Albania will also enter, together with Montenegro, the path to concluding accession talks. I sincerely hope that the entire Albanian political class, starting from the government, will have correctly read this new geopolitical context and this goodwill of the European Union countries and that we will be at the height that history calls us to by not wasting this important historical moment. /CNA