Rama in Skopje: Citizens in First Place, History in Second Row

The prime minister of the Republic of Albania, Edi Rama, is in Skopje, where he is participating in the meeting of regional leaders, but US and EU officials.

In his address at the summit's entry, the prime minister said the meeting is very important for steps the region must take to draw closer to the European Union.

The government's leader stressed that Balkan countries must put the interest of citizens first and put history in second place.

“This is an important meeting since we are here Balkan leaders together with representatives of the European Union for the major steps we must take to unite and draw closer to the European Union.

It is a plan for development and integration into the European market, and this has so far been impossible for us, and possible only for countries that are part of the EU. This is an important change and it's an opportunity we shouldn't lose and it's important that we're here today to work together.

We have to prioritize the needs of the citizens first and leave our history for later. We will do everything we have to do in time to determine in the coming months what our countries will look like at the end of this decade”, Rama said in a short speech given prior to meeting with leaders of the Western Balkans in Skopje.