The mechanism he proposed to the EU to bring the Balkans closer, Rama's statements after meeting with Charles Michel

Prime Minister Edi Rama received today the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, while separating us about a month from his meeting on the issue of enlargement.

It remains to be seen whether it will be decided to hold the First Intergovernmental Conference between Albania and the EU.

We recall that the situation created by the war in Ukraine has increased the calls for negotiations for our country and Northern Macedonia to be opened within the French presidency.

At the joint press conference, Rama stopped at several points.

Change of course

As he said before, the Prime Minister informed that he had also communicated to Charles Michel that Albania will request the separation from MV, if it does not receive a positive answer in June.

"I said, we are in line with the EC and by the end, when the meeting is over, we hope that Bulgaria will pave the way. In case it does not happen, we will change the course ", said Rama.

Open Balkans

Rama said that it is not true that Germany does not support the "Open Balkans" initiative, acknowledging that the internationals have asked for inclusion. But remember that three out of six countries have rejected the initiative. Bosnia, Montenegro and Kosovo say their only path is to the EU.

"I want to reiterate that I was in Berlin yesterday and we had meetings with political parties in the Bundestag and the myth that has been created that Germany is against is not true. "It only requires inclusion," Rama said.

Rama's suggestion

The head of government said he had asked Charles Michel, but also other officials such as French President Emmanuel Macron, for the bloc to create alternative mechanisms to bring the Western Balkans closer. He said that the countries of the region can be summoned to roundtables, where decisions are made on issues that affect everyone, such as crises or security.

"I have stressed the need for the EU to overcome this phase, where our entire relationship with the EU goes only through the integration process and to take a further step to bring the Western Balkans closer politically, making an immediate political integration.

"Which means the participation of our countries in the decision-making tables related to security, or crisis management, which affect us all," said the Prime Minister.