71 years ago, Robert Schuman made his historical declaration, proposing the establishment of the European Committee of Coal and Steel. It was a courageous and visionary step, which Schuman and the visionaries of what we call today the “European Union”, undertook to lay the foundation of a political and economic collaboration, based on mutual understanding and solidarity, the will for lasting peace, to re-build together Europe that was devastated by war and to prevent these bloody conflicts from happening ever again in the continent.

Today, that dream and that vision are more alive than ever. Our common history teaches us that peace and prosperity and the high standards of living, even democracy itself that has made all these things possible, cannot be taken for granted. The motto of our time, even in this young at heart part of the old continent, Albania, is still the vision of the fathers of the Union, based on solidarity and common action to bring forward this political project, by including the 6 Western Balkan countries with a clear perspective in the EU, thus making this project triumphant in the whole continent.

Today, we are closer than ever in achieving our strategic objective of EU accession through the opening of negotiations. Albania and our government has made it possible through great efforts to fulfill all the priorities and specific requests, the greatest being the justice reform and the consolidation of rule of law. All these were made possible thanks also to the national consensus among all Albanians.

As time has shown the journey of the EU in these seven decades has not been easy. The political project of the Union has dwelled between skepticism and europeanism. For this reason, all European institutions are involved in an ongoing discussion on the future of Europe which aims to discuss the challenges and the future of the Union.

We are confident that the European future of Albania and of the region will not be compromised in any scenario. Our political commitment is strong to attain this objective which is a genuine testament of our ancestors and an obligation to our younger generations.

That torch will be in safe hands and I speak of our most valuable national asset, our young generation whom will raise the stake of Albania’s name, role and contribution in the European family.

Happy Europe Day!