Rama: We're not staying at Europe's door and crying

According to Rames, the Balkan state should focus on its future and the reforms needed for itself and its people follow.

The 2.8 million-strong country hoped to get the green light to begin EU entry talks in October, but France, Denmark and the Netherlands vetoed the move.

France-led “ -- led by France -- became very angry in the Balkans and the EU, where most member states had wanted to reward the two countries to continue important reforms.

Brussels is now doubling efforts to get all member states into the bloc, including Albania and Northern Macedonia, ahead of the Zagreb summit.

Prime Minister Rama, however, is not holding his breath. I don't expect anything”, Rama said, a painter and former basketball player, in a French-born show interview.

“We must do the things that must be done regardless of the decisions in Brussels”, he said, adding that the country cannot “continue to live with this expectation nightmare of something that is not in our hands”.

“We are not on this road because the French or the Germans are looking for us, but because it is the only reasonable way for the future of our children and for the future of this country”, he said.

Rama added that EU reforms themselves are far from controlling Tirana, though “is important for us as well for Europe to change”. Europe “is suffering, it doesn't work properly, it's clear. ”

“Albania did more than any other country for opening negotiations”, Rama insisted, who has been in power since 2013.

But the country “will continue to do its domestic tasks (because) we're not doing them for them, we're doing it itself”, he added.