Cakaya: Zagreb Summit Focused on Pandemia Measures

The first “along the Croatian presidency has two important decisions related to the enlargement process. In particular, the decision on opening membership negotiations with Albania and Macedonia and North shows that the EU integration process is still functional and still continuing with the relevant dynamics in the Western Balkans, so instead of focusing on yesterday's development of the Zagreb Summit, we should generally see the trend of the enlargement process and the engagement of the Croatian presidency in particular during this period”, Cakaj said.

“In that sense there is no bypassing the issue of enlargement, the focus has been on COVID-19, but the enlargement process has been concreteised with the very fact that the start of membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia”, he said.

Asked whether Europe is in danger of defocusing its interest in enlargement due to the pandemic, Cakay said: the European Union has provided an unwarranted multimillion-euro support to the Western Balkans, and this indicates that throughout this period the Western Balkans have actually been treated as integral parts of the EU in terms of managing this situation. Moreover The EU has helped Albania on several levels, beginning with opportunities to be part of common procurements, providing access to the solidarity fund, all the technical and financial support they have provided for health and economic and social consequences, and this shows that there has really not been a shift of” focus.

“In terms of implementing tasks to continue on the European route, what I can say is that circumstances are extraordinary and that dynamics may have declined in terms of implementing our tasks that come from the final conclusion of the council, but what's important we have maintained focus on building the negotiating group, in creating the action plan in all the obligations coming from the council's conclusions, and therefore at the moment that will reopen the public sphere as if earlier, we should be at the right level not to lose time but to go towards the first conference, he said.

Regarding the criteria set for March 24th with the opening of negotiations for Albania and Northern Macedonia, Cakaj first clarified that the decision to open negotiations, although on condition, Albania has started working in the very phase that each country should open talks, respectively, work on preparing the negotiating framework and continuing the process of drafting the action plan to bring local legislation to the European one. In this sense also that it is a conditioned yes this does not mean that we are wasting time. The fact that the EU has given Albania access to its pandemic situation management fund shows Albania is a negotiating country because only countries negotiating with the EU” are part of that fund, Cakaj said.

“As far as conditions are concerned we remain committed to implementing all conditions that are presented in the council's conclusions, without question. We have just prepared the action plan for their implementation, it will be discussed with all political actors in Albania, with all those who need to be involved in this process, because this is a process that goes beyond the government, it is a process that belongs to all institutions in Albania and Albanian society in general towards commitment I am unimpressed from the recent conclusions of the Council”, he said.

Next, Cakaj said the electoral “reform is not a process that can be closed unilaterally. Of course, the process of discussion on electoral reform will continue, and that means the inclusion of the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition in the process, not only to carry out an obligation to improve the quality of the election process in Albania, but now and an important process in Albania's European path, so we are talking about all of O's recommendations. SBE/ ODIHR in the Albanian electoral system”.

Regarding the Security Council meeting, Cakaj said it is very important to underline the fact that Albania has public applications to get a seat as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. The “Vosion will be next year, meanwhile, the mandate will be received by 2022-2023. We have done a great job in ensuring awareness of our work, and certainly in my speech will reveal Albania's achievements, the political values we represent, what we have done in the stability of the region in improving the process of regional co-operation, our relations and our aspirations to join the EU, and our position that EU enlargement is essential to the development and stabilisation of the region, our commitment to staying in full line with EU foreign policy and security. I will underline our contribution as head of the OSCE, as a NATO member with considerable contribution to many countries in efforts to build peace. So Albania meets all conditions to be a member of the Security Council for 202-2023”, he said.