Head of State Rumen Radev: Albania’s European Integration Serves the Interest of the Whole Region and the EU

At a meeting with Ilir Meta in Tirana, Rumen Radev voiced our country's expectation that a quick progress will be achieved in enforcing the rights of the Bulgarian national minority

Albania has met the criteria for launching membership negotiations with the EU and Bulgaria will continue to support its European future. This is what Head of State Rumen Radev said at a meeting with the President of the Republic of Albania Ilir Meta in Tirana. The Bulgarian President is on a state visit to Albania at the invitation of his counterpart. Rumen Radev highlighted the conclusions of the European Commission's monitoring report on Albania's progress in the areas of the rule of law, citizens' rights, the reform of public administration, fighting organized crime and corruption, which give reasons to specify the date of launching negotiations on EU accession as early as the next meeting of the European Council at the end of March.

The Western Balkans' European prospects are of key importance for the stability and security not only in Southeastern Europe, but also in the EU, the Bulgarian President said. Rumen Radev hailed Ilir Meta for the successful Albanian presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which proves that Albania deserves a more active support on its European path.

As an important criterion for achieving progress in the process of European integration, Rumen Radev highlighted the establishment of good-neighborly relations in the Balkans and the efficient enforcement of the legal provisions, which provide the opportunity for the Bulgarian national minority in the Republic of Albania to exercise its rights, particularly with respect to learning Bulgarian language.  "I am sure that we will witness the...