05.07.2021 – 19:29
The Prime Minister Edi Rama gave his speech at the Berlin Summit, which is taking place today virtually, where the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, the President of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi are also present.
In his speech, Rama again showed harshness with the leaders of the EEC, as he stated that they are greatly complicating the journey of the Western Balkan countries.
According to the head of the Albanian government, the EU is killing the flame of hope, emphasizing that nationalisms in the EU are playing the opposite role to the integration process, and has described the Berlin Process as “the strongest pillar of hope for the future.” .
Further, Prime Minister Rama said that “we must avoid the trap to become a caricature of the European Union, to become victims of mutual vetoes or the need for consensus! “This means that we already have very clear objectives.”
Rama’s full speech at the Summit:
Thank you so much Angela!
First of all, I would like to thank you very sincerely for the launch and support during all this time of this process, and for your strong and unwavering commitment to our region.
I know you do not like praise, but in fact I think the process you started was really very important to keep alive what, by the way, the EU is extinguishing, the flame of hope for the future.
Having said that, I think it is very important that we have more authorship in the process, as it is also important that the process be combined with the increased efforts of the Commission, based on the new economic and investment plan.
It is sad and everyone knows that meanwhile the process of European integration of the whole region into the EU, which was once seen and shown as the right way to subjugate Balkan nationalisms, has now turned into a process suppressed by EU nationalisms. .
Here and there, nationalisms in the EU are greatly complicating our European journey and playing the opposite role. However, as the legendary Donald Trump used to say, “This is what it is,” so we need to move forward with what we have. And with what we have, we really think that the Berlin Process and what has emerged from it, is the strongest pillar of hope for the future.
I want to emphasize here what I had the chance to share directly with the Chancellor, that it is absolutely very important that we move faster and, as we move faster, we must avoid the trap of becoming a caricature of the European Union, of becoming victims of mutual vetoes or the need for consensus! This means that we already have very clear objectives.
What Ursula said now is a very clear picture of what we need to do: Action for the common regional market, the economic and investment plan, and also the fullest possible implementation of Europe’s four freedoms.
We do not have the illusion that all this will save us from the very, very big gap between us and the European Union, because, to give you just one figure, in the European Union Plan 2021-2027, the Western Balkans will receive 507 euros per capita. Without making comparisons with others, but only by comparing to Croatia, it will receive 5195 euros, of course well-deserved, per capita; but behold, it is so.
In the end I just want to conclude by saying that Albania is extremely convinced and will encourage as much as possible the acceleration. As I said, we will not see consensus at all costs on everything. We will seek full inclusion in the process of anyone seeking to expedite this process. With Serbia and Northern Macedonia I want them to be very clear, we have not decided to share anything, we have not decided to share anyone, we have just decided to walk as much as possible, repeating that everyone is welcome, but always stating that we will not expect any.
The objectives are clear, the goals are clear, the path is clear. It is up to us to move forward as much as possible, of course hoping that on the part of the European Union, they too will push forward as much as possible, and here I must say that the Commission, the President of The Commission, and especially Commissioner Varheyli, is saving the face of the European Union in the Balkans. Thank you very much!
Chancellor Merkel: Thank you dear Edi for the very direct picture from your point of view. We recently spoke on the phone and hope to make progress. Next on my list is the president of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
