6 minutes agoKEP summit in Tirana, Reuters: Small, aspiring Albania hosts giant European summit
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)European leaders arrive in Albania on Friday for the European Political Community Summit, an event expected to be dominated by war in Ukraine, but where smaller Balkan countries hope that no attention will be lacking even aspirations for European Union enlargement. According to the international news agency Reuters, the summit under way at [...]
According to international news agency Reuters, the summit under way in Tirana will gather heads of the continent's most powerful states, including leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, broadcast Periscope.
The meeting takes place at a critical moment when Ukraine and Russia are preparing for the first peace talks since the start of the war.
Beyond global challenges, Balkan attention is focused on the EU membership process. Albania, as one of Europe's poorest countries with a hard communist past and major economic and political challenges, expects the summit to be a turning point towards European integration.
Reuters reports that the country is in full preparation for the leaders' hospitality. Tirana Airport, which is in the process of reconstruction due to a significant increase in tourism, has warned possible disruptions of flights due to air cargo.
Strong restrictions have also been placed on the road to the capital, especially around the summit center, at a huge new conference facility.
However, the road to the EU is not easy. Albania still faces serious problems of rule of law, money laundering and lack of political transparency. The recent elections, won firmly by Prime Minister Edi Rama, are under investigation by the prosecution amid charges of manipulation by the opposition.
Political opponents have not remained silent. Opposition leader Sali Berisha has called for a peaceful protest during the summit's development.
According to Reuters, international experts estimate that Albania's active foreign policy, including the deal with Italy for immigrants and foreign investment engagement such as Jared Kouchner, could boost the country's credibility in the eyes of the EU.
Meanwhile, Kosovo and Serbia follow the same path of integration, although clashes between them continue to remain an obstacle. Kosovo is currently under EU sanctions for Prime Minister Albin Kurti's role in ethnic tensions in the north, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended a memorial ceremony in Moscow, contrary to Brussels' positions.
The summit in Tirana, according to Reuters, is a test of Europe's political awareness and of its determination to support not only security and democracy, but also the aspirations of Western Balkan countries. /Top Channel
