German Foreign Minister: Albania Model for region

At the heart of the conversation was Albania's efforts to start negotiations with the EU next year. Maas recalled that the compromise reached at the end of June among the 28 EU nations for the possible start of negotiations with Albania in the second half of 2019 was by no means easy.

But now we have a date and we will do everything possible that this date is the start date”, Maas promised. He appealed to political actors in Albania to support the country's extremely important reforms.

Regarding the latter, the German minister of foreign affairs did not save the words of praise:

“It is important to recognise and evaluate the achievements of reforms that have been an impressive strain that requires courage and realism in a highly favourable environment”, Maas said, adding a little further that the Vetting “process is an example of how Albania has become a model for the region”.

In a post in “Twitter” after meeting with Albanian counterpart Ditmir Bushati, the German top diplomat writes that Albanians have every reason to be proud of this.

According to him, all political actors in Albania must support continued reforms. Mass said Macedonia and Albania are starting to put required reforms on the right track to become part of the union. After meeting with Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati, Mass has said it is “convinced that people living in Western Balkan countries want to live as we live in Europe, not as people live in Russia or China. Germany is very, very positive for EU enlargement in the Western Balkans because we are convinced it is in the strategic interest of a free Europe”.

For his part, Minister Bushati underlined: Our “path is clear as far as 2019 is concerned, and the next 12 months we will be making full use of it, working with the European Commission for the process unjustlycreing”.

Germany had previously committed negotiations with Albania to be opened after meeting two key conditions -- electoral reform and the conclusion of the veto process.

Germany's subx0> support for us is irreplaceable for all phases of the democratic statehood process in which we are involved,” said Bushati, who provided Germany with the huge assistance to manage the Vetting process.

The two ministers stopped at the security and climate facing the Western Balkans and Albania's role as a factor of peace and stability.

Following the political stalemate for failing to adopt the magistrate's law, internationals have called for consensus among political parties.