Behind the scenes of the Rama-Scholtz meeting: Full harmony, the only point they did not agree on

“Russia’s murderous and senseless aggression against Ukraine has shown us clearly and painfully that Europe’s achievements in recent decades are no longer self-evident. We must commit ourselves every day from the beginning to an open life, where the rule of law prevails and there is prosperity. Based on this, Germany is committed to starting the accession negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia as soon as possible. He stressed that this is in our common interest and is crucial for stability in the region and for the whole of Europe.

Albania plays a constructive role in foreign policy

The German Chancellor further thanked Albania for the constructive role it plays in international organizations, “as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, as an ally within NATO, as a member of the OSCE and in many other international forums. . ”

The German Social Democrat Chancellor also noted that Albania has a foreign policy in full compliance with EU foreign policy, recalling that Albania has condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine and “like us, it clearly condemns and distinct crimes committed against the civilian population. Scholz congratulated Albania on the big steps in the rule of law and other areas.

New impulses in the Berlin Process

The German Chancellor spoke of a revival of the Berlin Process, begun in 2014 by his predecessor, Angela Merkel. The German politician encouraged the countries of the Western Balkans for regional cooperation: It improves the economy, good neighborly relations and accelerates rapprochement with the European Union. In this context, he spoke about the establishment of the Regional Common Market. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, for his part, promised that Albania will continue with the reforms, even if the negotiations are not opened. “We owe this neither to Paris nor to Brussels, but only to our children.”

Rama agreed with Scholz on his stance on Russia and the war in Ukraine, and said he welcomed the German chancellor’s warning to give a new impetus to the Berlin Process and again defended the Open Balkans initiative that he he called it “an attempt to bring the Berlin Process to life by mastering it as a process on a daily basis.” But he added: “The revitalization of the Berlin Process is definitely more than welcome and the inclusion of all countries to bring to life in the Balkans the four freedoms, the freedom of movement of goods, people, capital and labor.”

This was probably one of the only points when the two statesmen were not in unison. Scholz himself, even in questions asked by journalists from Albania, avoided using the term Open Balkans. He also spoke neither for nor against the secession of Albania from Northern Macedonia in the integration process. Rama said that if Bulgaria continues to block Northern Macedonia for negotiations by June, he will seek secession from Macedonia.

The Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama and the President of Germany, Frank Walter Steinmeier

One of the journalists’ questions was about the influence of countries competing with the EU and the West in the region. “Certainly Russia is a problem in our region, especially in today’s conditions, which makes it much more necessary, the more intensive activation of the EU, and the effort on the part of the EU to get very close. closer to all the countries of the Western Balkans. ” As for China, he said that Albania does not have any special relations, neither with Russia nor China. And Turkey is not a third actor, but a strategic partner of Albania, and in my view, Turkey is a very important security valve for the whole of Europe. “We have had very good relations with the Gulf countries for years and of course they are welcome to come and make their investments, but their presence in our country is much lower than sometimes magnified through sensational articles and media observations.”

Rama used the opportunity to demand visa liberalization for Kosovo citizens. “It is a stalled process and we hope it will be liberated, so that all Balkan countries get what they need to get closer to the European Union.”

Rama was the first prime minister of the Western Balkan countries to visit Scholz in Berlin. After the conference, the chancellor hosted a dinner for the guest from Tirana. In the morning, Rama also met with President Frank Walter Steinmeier and the Mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey. Rama invited Scholz to follow the example of his predecessor, and to respond to his invitation to visit the region, and of course, Albania. / DW

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