In Tirana they are waiting to oust Begaj, Meta follows the agenda in Istanbul at the Maltepe Economic Forum

“The rule of law requires the rule of law, the fight against corruption and organized crime, an independent and incapable judiciary.” Meta said, among other things, in his greeting speech at the Forum

Speech by President Meta:

It is always a great pleasure to be in beautiful Istanbul, a big city with a powerful history and full of diversity, always rising towards the highest standards.

I would like to thank our dear host, Mayor Kilic, for organizing this conference to exchange our views on the most important issues affecting international security today.

As we gather here, I want to start by emphasizing that Turkey is an important strategic ally of NATO, a highly valued regional and bilateral partner, which has increasingly become a key factor for European security and beyond. .

Turkey has borne a heavy burden over the past years, making a significant contribution to international efforts to combat terrorism, as well as managing an influx of refugees of this magnitude to make it the largest host country in the world.

Turkey has also been a very important partner for stability and security in our region, in the Western Balkans, including with its clear attitudes towards the statehood of Kosovo and its constructive commitment to the state functioning of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ladies and gentleman,

As I was referring to the beauties of Istanbul, I did not mention its most unique feature: its location on two continents, where Europe and Asia meet and merge into one identity.

The concept of identity has become of fundamental importance in its political sense.

Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine has prompted the need to redefine European identity as a political community based on common democratic values ​​and practice.

This has fostered the need to strengthen our Collective Defense Alliance, protecting the inviolability of this security perimeter from any unjustifiable and unprovoked threat.

When French President Emmanuel Macron introduced the idea of ​​a European Political Community on May 9, 2022, he was responding to the accelerated membership applications submitted by Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.

The popular solidarity expressed by the European peoples had to be commensurate with the high-level political commitment.

I have to admit that the countries of the Western Balkans, including Albania, were quite confused by this initiative, although President Macron would also state that for us “the way is already set”, as referred to in the EU Council decision 2003.

Simply put, the dilemma rests with the June European Council meeting, which will have to determine what the future holds for the three new candidate countries and what will happen with the opening of membership negotiations between Albania and northern Macedonia. .

We understand that European membership is a long process that requires decisive and irreversible reforms. So yes, homework needs to be done.

But it is extremely important to note that although still far from the desired progress, the Western Balkans should not be treated as a failed case.

The 6 Western Balkan countries taken together can not even equal the population of Romania. The European Union does not find it difficult to accept us in relation to the figures, but in relation to the problems we have.

However, as history itself has shown, the problems of the Western Balkans have never remained unchecked or limited in this geographical territory. Because a Balkan problem is a European problem.

The European Union wisely decided to invest politically, economically and human capital in the Western Balkans by designing a membership process, based on the individual merits of sustainable and tangible reforms, which really improve people’s lives.

Perhaps the most important political investment of the EU in our region is the implementation of its model of coexistence feasible only through the perspective of EU membership. Unfortunately, this model was almost compromised with a border change / correction idea, which would have reproduced conflict, killed our European perspective, and undermined stability and security in the Western Balkans.

In addition, Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine was propagated as Russia’s right to “build the Russian world.” The same propaganda has spread in our region with the “Serbian world”. It seems that Russia will not stop efforts either to end EU enlargement or to undermine the democratic model of governance.

Russia will continue to use its proxy actors for these purposes, but will have to face a strong response. If Europe wants to be big, it has to think big. Vision and strategic decisions can only come from within it.

This requires political leadership, unity, coherence, to say things as they are, the use of conditionality and increasing leverage as mechanisms to keep enlargement with the Western Balkans alive and to save the peace process. Of course, we are in an asymmetric position to impose ourselves on European decision-makers or to forcefully join the European Union.

Instead, as EU leaders address their credibility of enlargement policy, we need to address our credibility in terms of concrete results. What we can and should do is focus on our country:

Basic Priorities: Strengthening democracy and the rule of law.

Democracy begins with free and fair elections, with accountable institutions, with free media. The rule of law requires law enforcement, the fight against corruption and organized crime, an independent and non-partisan judiciary. No one will do this for us, we have to do it ourselves.

Contribute to the strengthening of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance and relations with strategic partners. Full approximation of our foreign policy with the European Union. Promoting comprehensive regional cooperation using existing forums and mechanisms that can yield concrete results.

Categorically rejecting and resolutely discouraging support for any project that aims to change the European perspective of the region. Attempts should be made to try to incite tensions through toxic rhetoric and provocative actions, as we have already seen in recent months.

Finally, let me reiterate that we expect to move forward as soon as possible with the opening of membership negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia, as well as with visa liberalization for Kosovo.

“These are just legitimate expectations that almost all EU members agree on, encouraging a cautious but optimistic outlook on the European future of my country and the region.”

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