Acting Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Gent Cakaj, had a press conference on the decision of the European Council for opening of accession negotiations with Albania.

In his statement, Cakaj gave the good news that the EU General Affairs Council has finally decided the opening of accession negotiation with Albania.

Considering this decision as a great achievement for Albania but also with a special importance for Western Balkans, Cakaj emphasized that the decision made today comes after three consecutive reports by the European Commission, which had acknowledged the achievements of the unprecedented reforms of Albania and the approval of the new methodology of negotiation, as a special request by some EU member states.

“After postponing several times the decision to start the accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia according to their merits, today’s decision shows that the enlargement agenda is functional and that the European Union presence in the region is becoming stronger. Today’s result concludes the many achievements of Albania and in the same time it opens chapters of responsibilities for all of us.”- stressed the Head of Albanian Diplomacy.

As for the First Intergovernmental Conference, Cakaj said that in accordance with the official position of the German Bundestag, the first Intergovernmental Conference is conditioned with finalization of the electoral reform, the functionalization of the Constitutional Court, filling the vacancies in the judicial system and finishing the process of establishing the special structures for the fight against corruption and organized crime.

Furthermore, Cakaj expressed the commitment to efficiently fulfill these conditions, even though these conditions, according to the Head of Albanian Diplomacy do not question or affect today’s decision to open accession negotiations with Albania.

In his concluding remarks, Acting Minister Cakaj expressed gratitude to all the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers for the today’s decision but also for the cooperation and the unsparing support they had given Albania, throughout all this period.