Acting Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Gent Cakaj is paying an official visit to Berlin for the purpose of maintaining and consolidating intensive communication with the German authorities concerning European integration.

In the course of this visit, Acting Minister Gent Cakaj was received in a meeting by the Minister of State for Europe at the German Federal Foreign Office, Michael Roth, discussions with whom centered around the progress of reforms in the framework of the European integration and the start of negotiations.

Acting Minister Cakaj expressed appreciation for the solid support that Germany has provided and is providing to Albania, with this being indicative of the importance of cooperation between the two countries. He thanked Minister Roth for Germany’s support, and his personal contribution.

Minister Roth reconfirmed the support from Germany, which remains maximally committed to Albania’s European perspective, and considered that respect for the democratic and constitutional institutions is crucial for this.

The German Minister appreciated the pace of reforms, and encouraged the Albanian authorities to carry on with the good work done. ‘Albania has come a long way towards integration and deserves that negotiations start,’ Minister Roth stated. He confirmed that Germany remains a strong supporter of the Western Balkans’ integration into the EU.

Both Ministers acknowledged that the decision for opening the negotiations is of strategic importance to both the increased institutional interaction and the Western Balkans overall, and that the Berlin Process must be considered as an instrument for European integration.

Both Ministers recognized that Albania has made the progress required for launching the negotiations and that the political decision will be based on the Commission report.