Austria in favour of opening negotiations for Albania

Austria's Ambassador to Tirana Johann Sattler said in an interview for the Albanian Telegraph Agency that, “will be an interesting week, next week in Brussels. It's a decisive vote. Austria will vote in favour. We're in favour of opening negotiations and I think it's deserved”.

But he stressed, this does not mean that Austria is satisfied with all that the Albanian government has done these years.

Does this mean that we are satisfied with all that the Albanian government has done these years? No. There are still many areas where we want to see progress. But does this mean that it's done enough to vote, Pro? Yes, absolutely! We think Albania has met the conditions. We clearly think the glass is more than half full. So I think it's going to be a very positive step, not only for Albania, but for Macedonia, where we've seen very positive developments in recent weeks, leading to say "Popo”," Sattler said about it.

Regarding the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU, Sattler stressed that, “we are clearly in favour of the Western Balkans' EU integration. So there's no hesitation, there's a clear yes”.

He said this is a win-win situation.

I think it's a good thing for both sides. It's good for the EU, because this region belongs to Europe politically, economically, culturally. But it is also good for the region. It is necessary and very good for Albania, since the EU is the best incentive for Albania to continue on the path of reforms. I am very sure, that without the EU, without the possibility of becoming a member of the EU, many reforms that have been made in Albania and other countries in the region these years would not have been possible. So there's a situation where both sides win. It is a victory for the European Union, but also a clear victory for Albania”, Sattler said.