Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina refused to sign the summit’s statement in Tirana, blocked everything for 30 minutes!
Leaders of 12 countries from Southeast Europe were received on Monday in Tirana by the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, in the framework of the concluding summit of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP).
In the capacity of SEECP Chairman for the period 2024-2025, the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, praised the achievements of this process, in strengthening regional cooperation in the field of security, and building a common market.
In a press release with Northern Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, a country that has chaired the SEECP before Albania, and with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who took over the next leadership, President Begaj said the discussions of the Tirana Summit focused on the European Common Future.
« Albania remains committed to the principles of this platform and important issues such as regional stability, economic cooperation, and reforms towards European integration » – said Begaj.
« EU countries provide political and concrete support for our Union membership, guaranteeing that the perspective of integration remains real and reliable for the whole region, » the President of Albania further said.
Albania seeks to accelerate negotiations with the EU
At the conclusion of its chairmanship in the process of cooperation of Southeast Europe, Albania has emphasized the need for more pace in European integration of the region.
« For Albania, the road to integration in EU is linked to the wider integration of the Western Balkans. We are moving rapidly towards integration, as we continue to remain faithful to the democratic values of the Euro -Atlantic alliance, » Begaj said.
Foreign Minister Igli Hasani said that regional cooperation should be seen as an additional tool, but not as an alternative to EU membership. « It is clear that regional cooperation is not a substitute for EU membership, but a necessary additional step towards it, where we create opportunities for trade, simplify mobility for our citizens, invest in energy, interconnection and communication, » Hasani said.
He added that Albania aims to open all the negotiation groups with the EU within this year and close the negotiations by 2027.
Disagreements for the final statement of the Tirana Summit
Although planned to begin in time, the press conference of the President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, along with his counterparts from Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria, was delayed for about 30 minutes. The reason was the final statement of the summit, which, although expected to represent the unanimous position of the 13 participating countries, was refused to be signed by Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, confirmed that the two countries did not support the text because of different attitudes on security issues. « We agreed that the issue of establishing sanctions on Kosovo is unfair and it should have been resolved long before. It is an additional statement about what is listed in the protocol, » said President Begaj.
He added that the lack of unity on such issues should not be seen as an internal problem, but as part of a wider geopolitical reality. « Security is not only a term inside our house. We have understood what happened to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which brought about problems not only for places involved in conflict but also for other countries, » Begaj said.
Albania in support of Israel, criticism of Iran
Beyond the topics of the region, crises in the Middle East were also part of Albania’s official stance at the Tirana Summit. « Albania reaffirms Israeli’s right to the security and protection of its citizens, and we also call on Iran to stop the programs of Ballistic, » said Albanian President Bajram Begaj during a joint press conference. « This proves the fragility of peace and the speed with which instability can be opened, » Begaj added. Earlier, Foreign Minister Igli Hasani also urged Iran to respect international treaties for non -opening of nuclear weapons.
« Albania calls on the parties to exercise maximum content and engage in diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and in a sustainable political solution, » Hasani said.
The political platform of cooperation in the Balkans
The South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) is a regional political platform, created in 1996 at the Bulgarian initiative, aimed at strengthening dialogue, trust and cooperation between Southeast European countries. It includes 13 countries such as Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Turkey and Moldova, as well as other partners involved in political and security developments in the region./DW/
Written by Rashela Shehu, correspondent from Tirana
